Veritas Aequitas
by BonesBoy15
Summary: Truth and Justice, two words that are forever intertwined after they were first brought together. Beacon Academy, a place where the future Hunters and Huntresses are trained to fight the evil Grimm. However, this isn't your average high school, and these aren't your average students. Look out Beacon, Naruto Uzumaki's coming for ya. Rated T for humor and mild scenarios.
1. Beacon

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **I: Beacon**

* * *

"Longest. Flight. Ever." A young man groaned as he knocked his head against the metal interior of the airship he rode in. He crossed his arms over his chest and hung his head when he heard no reply. "I never should've stopped for that bowl...Figures those two jerks would run off without me."

The teen looked up as a blond boy that wore an interesting armored jacket similar to his own – without the awesome hood and with a different symbol, he noted – rushed past him to the back of the airship with his hands over his mouth. The teen arched his own golden brow while his blue eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Then again, maybe I'm just not looking on the bright side of things," he said with a snicker. He slid down and crossed his legs in front of him, where they stuck out into the aisle, and interlaced his hands behind his head while he looked up at the ceiling. "Still though, I hope those two aren't trying to kill each other. After all, I need one for pranks and the other for homework."

Someone near him let out a small laugh and he looked over at the amused redhead with bronze and red armor that revealed her prime physique. He grinned at her and gave her a friendly wave. The girl seemed to freeze for a moment before she shyly waved back. Before he could invite her over or go over to make a new friend, a woman appeared as a hologram behind him.

She had light blonde hair pulled back in a bun, a white blouse and dark skirt. From her shoulders fell a cape that was purple and had almost devil-like tails coming off of it. Her green eyes were behind rectangular glasses that rested on her nose.

Overall, he gave her a seven out of ten on the scaling system. He wasn't into the librarian look.

" _Hello and welcome to Beacon._ " The young man stood and interlocked his hands behind his head as he barely restrained himself from jumping with joy. Those words meant this stupid flight was almost over! " _My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of attending this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace –_ "

"If only that were true..." The teen whispered sadly while his left hand reached up to grab hold of the item that hung from his neck. He tuned out the rest of Goodwitch's speech as he looked over his prized possession.

The necklace was not important, being a simple chord of orange wire, but the gold rings that hung from it were. They were the wedding bands that belonged to his parents, may they rest peacefully with Oum. He was not old enough to remember their faces when they died, but he was told that they were good people who lived to protect, and thus he lived for the same reason. The boy looked up as the hologram flickered away and tightened his grip on the rings.

He looked over his reflection and grinned widely at it, the whisker-like birth marks on his cheeks spread wide by his smile. His untamable mess of sunny blond hair was kept under a black hood that protruded from an orange and black jacket that was partially unzipped to reveal a mesh-like undershirt. The jacket had small bits of dark armor attached over the shoulders, chest and back, with a red and black spiral painted on the shoulders and back. His trusty Storm Breaker gauntlets were fitted around his arms and hands. From the waist down he wore orange pants that had hidden padding sewn into it. Finally, protecting his feet were his old academy's signature combat sandals, a variant of hunter boots that allowed for more kinesthetic impact.

The blond teen let his rings fall back and rest against his chest before he zipped his jacket up and looked over the view below him.

"Well, Beacon...I hope you're ready for Naruto Uzumaki." His grin widened and his eyes flashed mischievously. "Then again, I kind of hope you're not."

He looked up as the blond from before ran from his corner back towards the front. As the boy passed two girls, they started to freak out about some puke on one of their shoes. Naruto could only laugh.

"Oh yeah. This is going to be awesome!"

* * *

"My idiot senses are tingling." A young man mused from where he leaned against a light pole on the main walkway into Beacon. Wild burnt orange hair covered his head and bangs fell down over solid black sunglasses. He wore a dark red shirt and black pants, with combat sandals that were required at Kon Academy. Around his waist was an orange belt of fur that twitched occasionally. Rested against his left shoulder under his crossed arms was a black staff that had a ring at the top that had six small knives dangling from it. He looked over at the airship that came into the dock and smirked. "I think he finally arrived. Good for nothing, lazy hairless ape."

"Look whose talking, fox-boy," Another youth said lowly from where he was perched on the light pole, uncaring as the other growled at him for the name. The new speaker had an angular face and raven black hair. He wore a navy blue high collared and long sleeved mantle that parted just below his waist to reveal similarly dark pants and sandals that his companion wore. The youth sat up and revealed a red and white fan on his back, perched above his waist, around which was a belt where a solid black sword was clipped. He gripped the light pole's neck with gloved hands and swung down to land beside the red clad teen and looked at the sunglasses with black eyes.

"Is something wrong?" He asked the red wearing teenager.

The ginger haired youth let out a growl. "Don't call me 'Fox-Boy', Heir-less!"

The onyx eyed youth's eyes flashed. "Ah, that's right. You're not a 'boy' anymore. I forgot, you finally went through your... what was it again, _heat_?"

"I'm _so_ tempted to drain you dry right now!"

"Oh come on, guys! Can't you wait at least a day before you try to rip each other apart?" The two looked away from one another as Naruto approached them with his duffle slung over his shoulder. Naruto grinned at his classmates and fellow Kon graduates. "I mean, I need to have more than one alias after I prank that Goodwitch chick. She's just asking for it dressing up like a librarian and all."

"I'd bet Heir-less wants to tap it. What with his fetish and all." The red clad teen mused. The two amused boys looked at their raven-haired companion while he scowled at them and his cheeks tinted.

"I do _not_ have a fetish!" He hissed.

"Sure you don't, Sasuke." Naruto leaned over to the red-clad teen and not-too-quietly whispered, "He's still in denial!"

"Screw you, Uzumaki!" Sasuke snapped.

"I'd quiet down if I were you, Sasuke. Isn't that how _that_ rumor got started?" The red clad teen asked with a vulpine-like grin on his face. Both Sasuke and Naruto shuddered at the memory and then glared at the one who reminded them of it.

"If I remember correctly, that was because _you_ started it, Kurama." Naruto grumbled.

Kurama, as he was named, let his grin widen. "I ain't denying it, unlike Mr. Librarian-fetish."

"Go chase a rabbit, Ōtsutsuki!" Sasuke scowled at Kurama.

Kurama's grin never waivered as his red aura began to leak out and he adjusted his grip on his staff. "Why don't you _make_ me, Uchiha?"

Sasuke's black aura started to leak out as well and he grabbed onto the handle of his sword and began to draw it. "I'd be glad to-!"

They were stopped from fighting by an explosion that occurred somewhere down the walkway.

"Ooh, boom-boom! So big and beautiful, I wonder if someone got hurt. But that cloud...Let's go investigate!" The cheerful Naruto declared as he rushed off towards the source. Sasuke and Kurama exchanged a look before they chased after their excitable friend. It was never a dull day when one was a friend with Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

"Aw, another Dust accident? No residue or destruction. So lame." Naruto pouted in disappointment as he came across the source of the explosion. He continued to mope while the girl dressed in white yelled at the girl in the red cape. His two friends palmed their faces as they came across his discovery.

"Figures that's what you'd be disappointed about," Sasuke said with a sigh. He looked over at Kurama when a growl left the teen's throat. "What's your problem, Fox-boy?"

"Aside from that annoying nickname? _Her_." Kurama glared from behind his sunglasses at the white themed girl. He bared his teeth, revealing a sharper than average fang in place of a human's canine, and growled again. "She's a Schnee."

"Oum bless you," Naruto said as he overcame his initial disappointment.

Sasuke smacked him upside the head. "No, you idiot. The Schnee family is the family most well known for Dust mining and the Faunus bias."

"It's damn near slavery!" Kurama snapped at the darkly themed teen.

"They get wages that equal the dangers, the fact it's less than human workers, who do not face such dangers but perform more mundane tasks in the office, is what's so controversial about it." Sasuke returned coolly as he rolled his eyes.

"That's what the media wants you to think!" Kurama snarled. He scoffed and looked away before the other boy could retort. "Stupid, arrogant asshole..."

"Pot, meet kettle, have you realized something? You're both black." Naruto drawled as he stared at the two. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Man, what am I going to do with you guys?"

"Could you excuse me?" A calm voice asked. Naruto turned and looked down at the girl with hair as dark as his friend's. She was dressed in black clothes with a revealed midriff and had a large bow on her head.

Naruto cracked a grin and looked at Sasuke. "Hey, I found your dream girl. She's practically a female you."

"Funny, idiot. Maybe you should follow our example and get out of her way," Sasuke said as he stepped to the side.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and did as he was asked. "Yeah...Sorry Ms.-?"

The girl walked away without much of another word. She did stiffen slightly as she walked by Kurama, who merely arched a brow in return.

"Wow, rude much?" Naruto asked with a small frown. Then again, he hadn't helped matters with his comment.

"She's a Faunus." Kurama's observation was softly spoken. He crossed his arms and let his weapon rest against his shoulder. "Probably irked from being near Schnee."

"The idiot's comment probably didn't help."

"For once, we agree."

Naruto slumped to the ground and began to draw circles on the sidewalk. "My friends are so mean to me..."

"I also agree with the idiot's observation." Kurama added with a grin. "That was definitely the female, Faunus version of you, Uchiha."

While Sasuke dryly glared at him, Naruto perked up and threw an arm around Kurama's shoulders. "I knew my right hand man wouldn't leave me hanging!"

"Of course not. I want to see you drown in your precious noodles." Kurama smirked as Naruto squawked.

"Blasphemy!"

Sasuke shook his head and looked up at the largest hall that was in front of them. "Come on, I think there's supposed to be a speech or something. We hurry before we miss it."

"And how do you know that?" Naruto asked his friend.

Sasuke smirked back at him before he started to walk away with a smirking Kurama behind him. "Because, idiot, this is still a school."

"...Ah, crap, I hate it when he's right." Naruto sulked for a moment he followed his two friends. "Oi! Oi! Wait up, you jerks!"

* * *

A young man walked around the campus of Beacon, smiling gently as he did. He was dressed oddly, even for most hunters, wearing a russet pinstripe outfit underneath a green haori with white trimmings. Around his waist was a brown sash that had a simple, if bulky, metal bar clipped to the back of it. Only wooden sandals with straps the same color of his haori protected his feet. His bangs were long enough to reach the top of his torso, the hair a silky black, though most of it was pulled back into a white bun holder.

When one added his androgynous features, it was hard to tell if he were a boy, which he _was_. He despised it so, but it was a fact of life and he had come to accept it. That he accepted it didn't mean he'd have to like it, though.

With a soft complacent sigh, the feminine boy let his hands rest behind his back and continued his stroll towards the auditorium for the inevitable opening speech. As he rounded a bend, he was nearly bowled over by a young couple, both of which looked to be in a panic. The saving grace? The girl had spotted him and stopped both herself and her companion before they ran smack into him.

"Ah, sorry!" The girl, a short thing she was for a seventeen year old, apologized to him. He took a moment to quickly assess her build – what? He was a healthy teenage male! He could look if he so wished. She was a petite girl, dressed in black clothes that were accented by red to match the red cape she wore. Her weapon was in the compacted form, much like his own, and hung from her waist. Her skin, again like his, was a pale white and her eyes were an interesting silver. Her hair was short, dark and, like her clothes, had red highlights.

"It's no problem." He answered after he finished his quick moment of appreciating her modest bust – again, healthy teenage male. The androgynous male looked at her companion when he asked his next question. "Why are you two in such a hurry?"

The blond teen, built far differently from himself, was an inch or so taller than he was with broad shoulders and a good physique. His armored clothes looked rather hastily thrown together, a mess of colors that would do well to conceal him, but it was the weapon that drew his attention. The sword and sheath were infamous and easily recognizable. They belonged to an Arc.

Interesting.

"We're trying to figure out where the auditorium is," the boy said. He sounded rather young. A hand was thrust from the blond and a small grin was on his face. "Jaune Arc, nice to meet you."

"And I'm Ruby Rose!" The cute girl in red added her own hand.

He took the Arc's hand with a smile and after he shook it, took Ruby's in a gentler, but firm shake. "The pleasure is mine. I am Haku Yuki."

"So, uh, you wouldn't happen to know if we're supposed to be anywhere, do you?" Jaune asked awkwardly.

Haku supposed the boy was trying to determine whether he was a male or female. Haku had to admit, this was the one boon that came with being androgynous. Well, that and all the female admirers. Girls were strange, but he wasn't complaining.

Taking pity on the two, Haku smiled gently. "Yes. There's bound to be an opening ceremony or speech of some sort in the auditorium. I was just about to head over that way, would you like to join me?"

"Please!" "Yes!"

Haku smiled and let his hands fall behind his back. "Wonderful! I always enjoy making new friends. This way."

* * *

"I smell maybe one or two other Faunus here aside from the Fem-Sasuke," Kurama said lowly from his place on the wall in the back of the auditorium. He ignored the glare from his dark haired companion and sighed softly. "So much for being a Faunus friendly school."

"Ah, don't worry about it, buddy. You still got me and Sasuke, and as long as we stick together, nothing can stop us!" Naruto grinned as he let his hands interlock behind his head.

Sasuke dropped his glare and stared at the blond member of their trio dryly. "What did you do?"

Naruto looked hurt at the question and placed his hands over his chest. "Sasuke, my friend, how could you be so cruel? To suggest that _I_ would step out of line and perform some sort of-of delinquent act of mischief! I'm hurt."

Sasuke merely stared at him for another minute before he looked at Kurama. "So what'd he do?"

"Oi!"

Kurama ignored Naruto's outrage and let a small grin cross his face. "Well, I promised I wouldn't tell..."

"I didn't even do anything yet!" Naruto protested.

Sasuke, like Kurama, ignored the blond. "What should I prepare for? The Rubber Chicken Incident or something along the lines of The Eraser Scheme?"

"You guys aren't even listening to me, are you!?"

"Meh, more like the Lunchroom War of Class E."

"That bad, huh?"

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "You guys are literally the worst friends imaginable."

"Why don't you go try to make better friends then?" Sasuke asked.

"Well maybe I will!" Naruto shot back.

Kurama snorted. "You're _way_ too stupid to make new friends."

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but went quiet as the lights dimmed and a gentle clearing of the throat came through the microphone. The three turned to the stage to see Glynda Goodwitch and a grey haired man that was easily three or so inches taller than her. He was dressed sharply, with a green scarf around his neck and had a cane in his left hand as he addressed the students.

" _I'd like to make this...brief._ "

Naruto slouched against the wall with a sigh. "And by that he means he's going to prattle on and on about his school's prosperity, dignity and the rules."

"I dunno, he seems to be a bit distracted," Sasuke said as he listened to the apparent headmaster speak.

"What he needs to do is back away from the microphone." Kurama muttered as he dug in his right ear with his pinky. "The feedback is killing me."

"And he's done."

"What? Seriously?" Naruto snapped his eyes open and gaped as he saw the man walk away while Goodwitch stepped forward. "Damn, why couldn't our school assemblies be that quick?"

" _Gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow your initiation begins._ "

"Initiation? What is this, a cult?" Kurama asked lowly with a hint of amusement.

Sasuke shook his head and stepped away from the wall towards the auditorium doors. "I wouldn't be surprised. Come on. Let's go find the ballroom so we can claim a place to sleep."

"Right behind you," Naruto said as he followed his two friends. He turned and caught sight of the same girl from his airship. She noticed him and gave a quick wave that he reciprocated with his usual grin plastered on his face. Naruto turned back to his friends as the sea of people obscured her from his view.

Shame, too, it was a nice view.

* * *

"Segregated sides? Where's the fun in that?" Naruto asked with a frown as he walked over to the far side of the ball room with his pack and sleeping bag. He dropped his stuff on the ground and began to prepare for bed, which, for him was rather easy. Remove all clothes, save for the unmentionables, and throw on a pair of shorts.

With no shame at all, Naruto stripped. It was hard to feel shame when one was raised mostly by themselves or was influenced by certain 'unique' classes offered at Kon Academy. After all, hunters and huntresses had to be able to adapt to _any_ situation at _any_ time. It didn't hurt that Naruto noticed a few girls had paused to admire his build.

That was just a coincidental bonus.

"Whoa, Uzumaki. Am I gonna have to get some lien out for that show?" Kurama asked with a smirk as he walked up to the blond. He'd changed from his clothes into red pajama pants and a white tank top. His sunglasses had been replaced with a black sleep mask that had a red fox on the front. The fuzzy 'belt' was still wrapped around his waist.

Naruto smirked back at his friend and played with the hem of his running shorts. "Well, I'm not opposed to making a bit on the side."

"We should have _never_ let you go to that club with the Toad Sage." Sasuke grunted as he dropped his stuff on the blond's other side. He had changed from his armor into a modest yakuta with red and white fans decorating the material. A plastic green card smacked him in the face and Sasuke glared at the snickering Kurama.

"Dude!" Naruto frowned in mock annoyance. He gestured to his well developed torso. "I'm the eye candy here, give me some of that!"

"Ah, but he's the one they all want to strip." Kurama countered as he pointed at the girls who had glued their eyes to Sasuke.

The raven-haired boy grunted in annoyance and tossed the lien hard at Naruto, who yelped as the currency smacked against his right pectoral. Sasuke turned and began to walk away, a small bag in his hands. "If you _peons_ will excuse me, I need to go prepare for bed."

"Of course, oh glorious one!" The two chimed back boisterously and obnoxiously. A sole finger was raised back at them without any other to accompany it and the two troublemakers burst into laughter.

"Uh, what's so funny?" The voice made the two look up...and promptly burst into more laughter.

"He's – Oum help me!" Naruto fell to his knees while he held his gut and laughed at the boy who had been emptying his stomach onto the airship floor. He was dressed in a set of light blue footie pajamas.

"Wow, man, and I thought _you_ looked stupid when you went to bed back in the day." Kurama agreed as he overcame his laughter. He faced the confused blond with a wide grin on his face. "What are you wearing?"

"Pajamas, duh."

The response made Naruto laugh harder.

Kurama however shook his head and grabbed his bag. "No you're not. Come on, man, even I'm not cruel enough to let you stay in those."

The boy frowned. "What's wrong with my pajamas? ...How can you even see me?"

"Tricks of the trade, PJ." Kurama grabbed the blond's shoulder despite the protest and dragged him towards the bathroom. "Back in a bit, Uzumaki. Don't do anything stupid!"

Naruto couldn't retort because he was still in the midst of dying from laughter.

* * *

"Excuse me." Sasuke stopped as he walked away from the bathroom back towards his chosen bed. His brain shorted out as his eyes fell on possibly the most _beautiful_ girl smiled at him. She was dressed in a sleeveless pink yakuta that covered her modesty with a black choker around her neck. The girl's smile was gentle, much like her features, and she nodded her head slightly.

"Sorry, but I was just on my way to bed when someone handed me this bag. I believe it was yours, as well..." She trailed off as her eyes went to the fan on his bag and then the fans that decorated Sasuke's yakuta.

 _Dammit, Sasuke, do something! Say something! Anything!_ Sasuke mentally reprimanded himself. If he had full control over his body, he would've promptly palmed his face when all that came out of his mouth was a smart and witty "Uhh..."

 _Sasuke, you're a damn failure._

She let out a soft laugh that sounded like tinkling bells before she set the bag in his hand and bowed slightly to him. "Good luck tomorrow and have pleasant dreams tonight."

Sasuke could only stare as she walked away, unable to trust himself to say anything other than something stupid despite the fact he so dearly wished to know her name. He was stuck like that for some time, silently berating himself for acting like Naruto, making a fool out of himself in front of probably the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Good night!"

The sudden jarring from his stupor nearly gave Sasuke a heart attack. The cause of said near heart attack was a girl that only came up to his chin in height. Unlike the goddess he'd just seen, this girl leaned more towards the cute side. Her hair was orange, like a certain annoyance he knew (elsewhere, Kurama sneezed), and she wore a pink pair of shorts with clouds and lightning on them along with a grey shirt that had the word 'BOOP' in pink across her chest. It was rather distractive really.

"Uh...yeah, night...I'm sorry, why are you standing on my feet?" Sasuke asked dryly.

The girl beamed a grin at him. "So I can do this!" She poked him on the nose, as she was prepared to do. "Boop!"

"...Right...Well, it was a pleasure meeting you-"

"Nora Valkyrie!"

"Nora, but I really should get going and-"

"Hey Ren! Come here and check out this guy I found! Think he makes good pancakes?"

Sasuke started at the strange – and very loud – question that was directed at the young man that approached him. He had hair similar to Sasuke's own, but had a lone strand that was a hot pink. He seemed to give Sasuke an apologetic look before he directed his gaze to the eccentric Nora.

"Nora...Come on, it's time for bed."

"Aw, but I was just getting to know duck butt!"

Sasuke's eye twitched. No. He would not let that name start again.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

Nora looked at him with wide eyes before she stepped back from him and put a finger on her lips as she looked him over.

"Fancy...You must have access to the best maple syrup."

Sasuke groaned as the girl began to prattle on about syrup of all things, and she seemed to cut him off whenever he tried to walk away.

What fresh Hell has he doomed himself to?

* * *

"...Must, resist, stupidity impulse!" Naruto mumbled to himself as he played with a paddle-ball he'd brought for such an occasion where he'd be left to his lonesome with the strict orders of not doing anything 'stupid' from Kurama. His gaze went over to his bag, where a rubber chicken's leg was visible from the zipper. Sweat poured down the right side of his face as he looked back at the paddle-ball that was now a blur. "Not resisting well!"

He needed to prank something. Someone. Anyone. He needed to make someone laugh even at the cost of his own social standing!

"Oh not you again!" two voices called out in annoyance from the girls' side.

Naruto stopped his paddle-ball and beamed. "Thank you, Oum, you great and powerful bastard you."

He vacated his seat and quickly made his way over toward the source of the noise.

"What's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a hazard to my health!"

Naruto moved silently through the dimmed lighting to stand behind the loud girl dressed in white. He pulled out his trusty never fail orange duck tape and prepared a strip that was long enough to go over a person's face twice. Before the girl in white knew what happened, Naruto had taped her mouth shut.

What? A prank didn't have to be elegantly planned out _all_ the time. It just had to be a surprise!

The girl, Sneeze or something along those lines, let out a muffled shriek while the other three stared at the scene for a moment. The buxom blonde, who Naruto did look over twice because hormones, and the younger looking girl both burst into laughter while the Fem-Sasuke let out an aggravated sigh.

"Well, I think we can _all_ learn something from this." Naruto grinned as the buxom girl let out a snort of agreement. He put a hand on the Sneeze's shoulder and gave her a grin. "Don't worry, it'll wear off in about an hour or so and it won't leave a rash...I think."

The girl's eyes went wide and she dashed off towards the bathroom. Naruto turned back to the amused duo and the slightly amused Fem-Sasuke. He gave them a small grin and whispered to them conspiratorially. "It won't leave a rash, but there might be a permanent lipstick for a few days."

"That's so evil...I love it!" The buxom blonde grinned at him. "I like you, Whisker-boy. Name's Yang Xiao-Long, this is my little sister Ruby."

"Ruby Rose." The younger girl, Ruby, corrected. She gestured to the disguised Faunus that seemed to be annoyed with them. "And that's-"

"Fem-Sasuke. We've met." Naruto grinned at the girl while she stared at him blankly before she shook her head.

"Blake Belladonna."

"...I'm still gonna call you Fem-Sasuke." Naruto grinned as her cat-like yellow eyes narrowed. To annoy the stoic was one of his many reasons for living. He held his hands up defensively. "Kidding, kidding. Geez, no need to be so mean, Bell."

"Blake."

"Same difference." Naruto shrugged and intertwined his hands behind his head, completely forgetting that he was still shirtless. He was reminded of the fact when Ruby's face gained some color and Yang gave him an approving once over. His grin still on his face, Naruto dropped his arms and slipped between the two sisters. "So...You wanna end this day with a _Yang_? Because I know I do."

Yang smirked back at him and playfully wrapped her arms around the back of his neck.

* * *

Elsewhere, Kurama, who had just finished helping his new acquaintance Jaune Arc, froze and paled. "Oh no...I had always hoped that the possibility was too high!"

* * *

Likewise, Sasuke, who'd somehow managed to get Nora to shut up about pancakes for five seconds so her friend could properly introduce himself, did the same. "Dear Oum help us...my worst fear has been realized."

* * *

Unknown to the two, they spoke their next words at the same time, in the same amount of horror. "There's _two_ of him."

* * *

"I'm up to breaking a few rules if you are, Whiskers. First you gotta tell me, do the carpets match the drapes?" Yang's breathy question made Naruto's grin widen.

"Depends...do yours?"

Yang's grin widened as she leaned in and not so softly 'whispered', "Let's find out. _Together_."

"Ew! Yang! Gross!" Ruby couldn't take it any more after she'd turned into a prime example of a tomato. A glance at Blake showed that she faired no better with her faint blush across her nose.

Both Naruto and Yang broke into wide grins and then laughed loudly as they pulled away from one another. Yang smirked at her younger sister once she'd recovered from her laughter.

"What's wrong, Ruby? _Jealous_?" Yang's smile widened even more as Ruby's face turned a shade darker.

"Oh man, their faces, too good!" Naruto snickered out. He held his hand out towards Yang. "That was _awesome_. You're a natural prankster, Yang. Sorry I never introduced myself earlier, I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

* * *

 **AN: So begins the Naruto RWBY cross that I've been dying to write.**

 **Y'all know what I want ya to do!**


	2. Partners

**EDIT: I've fixed Jaune's name. That's embarrassing...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **II: Partners**

* * *

"...Oh yeah...You stir those noodles...You beautiful woman...That lives...In my house..." Naruto mumbled between snores. He had a dopey grin on his face while he was sprawled out across his sleeping bag. He was a chaotic sleeper.

Kurama, dressed in his regular attire and his eyes hidden once more by his dark wraparound sunglasses, stared down at the unconscious blond with an amused smile on his face. He adjusted his hold on his staff and looked at his annoyed acquaintance.

"So, do you want the honors or will I get to wake him up today?" he asked.

Sasuke's eye twitched and he lifted his right hand. Naruto had kicked him at least five different times last night. "I'm waking him up. I suggest you vacate the area."

"Ah, this is going to be biblical, isn't it?"

Sasuke said nothing and held his hand out towards the blissfully snoozing blond. There was a soft crackling as Sasuke's hand became encased in black static. Kurama wisely took a few steps back until he was a good ten meters away. He ignored some of the odd looks sent his way by other students.

"Oum, be merciful and let Naruto's luck hold strong."

There was a loud boom of thunder followed by a sharp yowl from the once sleeping blond. A beat passed and Kurama looked over at his two friends with a light smile while the rest in the room stared in horrified shock. They must not have expected the giant explosion. Obviously, they hadn't gone to school with Naruto Uzumaki. Those poor, pitiful fools don't know what awaits them.

Kurama chuckled and began to walk back to his friends when he saw Naruto hop up from his place on the ground. His only damage was a bit of singed hair and his skin smoked lightly.

"Oi! I was having a nice dream, Jackass!" Naruto raged loudly as he glared at his friend. "What'd you have to go and ruin it for!?"

"Our 'initiation' is today. We have to be ready. You don't get to sleep in if we don't." Sasuke was stoic as ever at first, but then there was a small smirk on his face. "Plus, retribution."

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest while he pouted. "I guess I can't be too mad, then. I threw the first punch, after all."

"You kicked me five times..." Sasuke drawled with his annoyance plain to see.

"Oh. We're square then." Naruto nodded before he sent a wave and smile to his ginger haired friend. "Morning, Kurama!"

"Glad to see your idiocy factor saved your ass again." Kurama returned with a smirk.

Naruto hung his head and his shoulders slumped. "My friends are so cruel..."

* * *

"Why do I always have locker numbers that add up to nine?" Naruto asked as he grabbed his gauntlets and necklace from his assigned locker. "I mean, in elementary it was nine exactly, then in Kon I had locker two-thirty-four, and now I have locker six-hundred and three."

"Must be your lucky number," Kurama said as he adjusted one of the attached blades on his staff. "So, you hear anything while you were inhaling your breakfast or were you on 'Ramen mode'?"

"First of all, I'm _always_ on Ramen mode." Naruto corrected sternly as he pulled his bulky left gauntlet on and flipped open the ammo cache to put load it. "Secondly, I think there's going to be teams or something."

"Teams, huh? Any word on how they'll get picked?" Kurama asked.

Naruto clapped his hand onto the ammunition slot to lock the dust bullets in place before he grinned at his friend. "Nope!"

Kurama sighed. He looked up as another idiotic blond boy walked past with his face buried in a sheet of paper. "Morning, PJ, where are you going?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Kurama!" Jaune greeted with a smile. He chuckled sheepishly and gestured to his paper. "Well, I don't remember having to count so high to find my locker, but according to this sheet, I was assigned locker six-hundred thirty-six."

"The top brass usually don't make mistakes when it comes to lockers, Puke Boy." Naruto chimed in from where he sat loading his right gauntlet with ammo. He looked up and grinned at his fellow blond while Jaune grimaced.

"Not you, too." He bemoaned.

"Puke Boy?" Kurama asked as his grin widened. "Do I really want to know?"

"No!"

"Probably." Naruto shrugged. He shut the lid on his right gauntlet and pumped both fists in. A loud click followed and a grin spread across Naruto's face as he slammed his fists together. "Oh yeah! The Storm Breakers are ready to bust some Grimm heads _wide_ open!"

"Uh, I don't think they'll have us facing Grimm at the get-go...right?" Jaune asked as he looked at Kurama for reassurance. He paled when he noticed the bloodthirsty grin that spread across the sunglasses-wearing teen's face.

"Rikudo is ready to deliver peace to their soulless hearts," Kurama said with a cackle. He twirled his staff and slammed it on the ground, which caused the blades attached to the ring to jingle.

"Do you mind keeping your testosterone levels in- _You_!"

The three boys turned to face the outraged white clad Schnee heiress while she glared daggers at Naruto.

Naruto frowned and pointed at her. "How'd you get the tape off without leaving a mark?"

"As if I'd tell you! You could have killed me with that stunt!" The girl snapped. Jaune stepped between the two before Naruto could argue that none of his pranks were life-threatening. Socially devastating, sure, but _never_ life threatening.

"Easy, there Snow Angel. My friend here didn't mean any harm," Jaune said confidently.

"Embarrassment was the goal, actually." Naruto chimed in.

"Dude, you're not helping." Jaune hissed.

"Why would you go out of your way to embarrass someone?" A new girl asked.

Naruto blinked and grinned at her. "Hey, it's the hot redhead from the airship. You look even better up close."

The redheaded girl flushed lightly and rubbed her arm. "Ah, um, thank you?"

"Don't thank him, he's the _enemy_!" The white clad heiress snapped quickly with her glare still locked on the whiskered blond. "And you, stop flirting with my teammate."

"Teams haven't been decided yet, Schnee," Kurama said pointedly. His grip on his weapon, Rikudo, was so tight that his knuckles had become the same shade as the girl's hair.

"It doesn't hurt to make new friends," the heiress returned. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Kurama. A quick once over and her attention landed on a certain fuzzy accessory. Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, now it makes sense why you're so quick to jump to his defense, _Faunus_."

Kurama let out a low growl as the fuzzy belt unwrapped itself from his waist and flicked in the air. "You got a problem with Faunus – oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that the Schnee family only sees Faunus as _slaves_."

"That's a dirty lie, but it seems you would only know dirt since you dig around in the ground so much." The Schnee returned.

Juane looked between the two nervously before he looked at the girl. "Hey, c'mon, Weiss. He didn't mean it-"

"I never say anything unless I mean it, Arc." Kurama cut in.

Weiss huffed. "It seems someone's mother never told him to not say anything at all if he didn't have anything nice to say."

Kurama snarled. "You wanna take shots at parents, Schnee? Two can play at that game!"

"Kurama, that's enough!" Naruto cut in as he stood up from his seat on the bench and glared at the fox Faunus. He tightened his hand into a fist when Kurama turned and growled at him. There was a tense and heavy stare down between the two before Kurama scoffed and turned towards the exit.

"Like she's worth it..." Kurama muttered as he stormed off.

Naruto waited until he was gone until he sighed and put his gauntleted hand on his head. "Great, that'll be fun to deal with."

"He certainly doesn't show that Faunus are similar to us-" Weiss was cut off as Naruto snapped a look at her. His eyes were intense and determined, and it was potent enough to make the heiress pause.

"Don't act all high and mighty, you were just as bad as he was." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, right now it doesn't matter if you're a Faunus or Human, if you're an Arc or Schnee or...uh..."

"Pyrrha Nikos."

"Or if you're Pyrrha Nikos," Naruto said with a grateful nod to the redheaded girl. Now he knew her name, bonus. "We're all students of Beacon now, and we've all got the same goal: to become Hunters of Remnant, to protect our home from the Grimm and criminals alike."

There was a small silence among the group before a yellow gauntleted hand punched Naruto's shoulder. Naruto looked to his left and grinned when he saw Yang smiling back at him.

"Nice speech there, Whisker Boy."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "You think so? I just made it up on the spot."

"It was very impressive." Pyrrha agreed with a nod. "And accurate. We're all equal, despite our aesthetic differences."

"Aw, you girls really know how to make a guy feel special." Naruto grinned as he let his hands intertwine behind his head. He looked at Pyrrha. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki, by the way."

"I'm Jaune Arc!" Juane was quick to throw in.

Pyrrha smiled at them and gave a small wave. "Hello, Jaune, Naruto. Pleasure to meet you."

"Believe me, beautiful, the pleasure is mine." Jaune grinned at the redhead.

Naruto and Yang snorted. "Cheesy!"

"Shut up, who asked you?" Jaune pouted at his fellow blondes. He grinned when he spotted a familiar face hiding slightly behind the two. "Hey Ruby!"

"Uh, hi, Jaune." Ruby waved timidly as Weiss' eyes narrowed on her. "Um-"

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go prepare my dust somewhere I know I won't blow up," Weiss said coldly before she walked off.

Pyrrha looked at the girl with an arched brow. "Odd, she seemed nice when we first spoke."

"Oh, I don't doubt that once you get to know her she's a _Weiss_ girl." Naruto smiled and held his hand out. Yang snickered and slapped it while Ruby groaned.

"Nice one."

"Dear Oum, there really are two of you." The group of five turned as Sasuke walked up with a pained and terrified look on his face. He gave Naruto a stern glare. "If we are going to continue being friends, for my sanity, you must _promise_ never to procreate with her."

Yang leaned an arm on Naruto's shoulder and gave him a grin with half-lidded lilac eyes. "Well, what if we let you join in handsome?"

"No." Both Naruto and Sasuke denied her with flat looks on their faces.

Yang shrugged and crossed her arms over her impressive bust. "Worth a shot."

" _All first year students are required to meet at Beacon Cliff._ " A woman's voice asked over the speaker. " _Repeat. All first year students are required to meet at Beacon Cliff._ "

"Guess its show time." Naruto mused as an excited gleam appeared in his eye. He and Sasuke exchanged a quick glance before they gave their respective grins to one another.

This was going to be...

* * *

Interesting.

Naruto looked down at the pad that he stood on and bounced on it a few times. Spring loaded, this was going to be fun. He turned to his right to look at Kurama, who was still a bit steamed from his interaction with Weiss, and then to his left to look at the black-haired girl wearing the green yakuta. She had the aptly named 'game face' on, so Naruto decided to not bother her.

Instead, Naruto looked forward as the headmaster – whose name he always forgot, Ollie-something – and Goodwitch walked past. They came to a stop at the end of the line, near where PJ and Ruby stood. Mr. O took a sip from his coffee mug and then addressed the group.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors," he said. "Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

 _Bet there's Grimm in there._ Naruto thought as a grin spread across his face. Oh, he just couldn't wait to unleash the energy brimming inside him. What to do first? Smash? Blast? So many options...

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard the rumor of the assignment of teams." Goodwitch's comment brought Naruto back down to reality from his Grimm slaying fantasy. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...Today."

"So dramatic, get on with it already..." Kurama mumbled as his tail flicked slightly from where it was wrapped around his waist. Naruto heard Sasuke mutter something back, but he couldn't make out the words so he focused on the teacher.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Mr. O said. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

Kurama grunted. "Crap. There's only three of us. One of us is going to get stuck with an outsider."

"Don't worry about it, Kurama. I'll stay away from the Sneeze chick." Naruto returned.

Kurama merely nodded his head as the headmaster continued. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"...Oh, crap-baskets...It just got real up in here," Naruto said with a blink while his friends tensed. That was some high stakes. It also raised the question of how the teachers would even know.

"What?!" Naruto peered down the line towards the source of the terrified voice. He wondered who the poor bastard was. He hoped he or she wouldn't be his partner. His partner needed to be optimistic!

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest." Mr. O continued despite the few murmurs that had broken out amongst the students. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you _will_ die."

"...He said it, not me! Y'all are witnesses!" Naruto crowed with an excited grin plastered across his face.

Kurama and Sasuke groaned while the others gave him amused, annoyed, or indifferent glances. The headmaster seemed to fall into the first category while Goodwitch fell into the second.

"Say goodbye to the Emerald Forest." Kurama mumbled.

"It looked nice from up here." Sasuke nodded.

"Well it seems one of you is rather confident..." The headmaster noted with a small smile before he continued with his instructions. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene."

"...It just keeps getting better and better!" Naruto nearly squealed.

Kurama leaned over to Sasuke. "Not gonna lie, I kind of hope I end up teaming up with you. He'd just keep asking for more aura."

"And being the good friend you are, you'd supply it," Sasuke said.

Kurama nodded.

"Find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, then return to the top of the cliff," Mr. O said over the three friends' voices. "You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and we grade you appropriately. Now...Are there any questions?"

"Yes!" Naruto's hand shot up as he beamed at the grey haired professor. "Is it the tenth? Because I feel like it's my birthday!"

"No, stupid." Kurama answered for the headmaster.

"...It's an early birthday present then!"

"Yeah, um, sir?" the faint voice belonging to one Jaune Arc barely reached Naruto's ears while he anticipated being released into the Emerald Forest.

"Good! Then take your positions," Mr. O said. He must've been ignoring Jaune.

Naruto was as well, but his eyes were focused on the forest as he crouched down like a frog. "Gonna get me some mad air..."

Kurama shook his head and crouched slightly while Sasuke did the same.

"Find me, I won't move or open my eyes until you reach my position." Sasuke whispered lowly to Kurama, who nodded in return. Was it a dick move to abuse Kurama's Semblance like this? Yes, but Sasuke was _not_ going to let the already monstrous reserves of Naruto Uzumaki be backed by Kurama's own near endless supply. That would just spell _doom_ for anyone that tried to hire Naruto and his partner down the line.

Naruto tensed only momentarily before his spring pad sent him flying. At the last moment, he pushed off with his feet and rocketed into the air, further than the recommended height. The whoop that left his mouth was loud and boisterous, much like the boy himself.

"...Pray for the forest," Kurama said before he was launched.

Sasuke shook his head and sighed. "May the mighty Oum save some of it."

* * *

Naruto passed through clouds before he started to descend, and on doing so, he brought his right fist back. His aura charged around him and made his skin give off a golden glow.

This was his Semblance, or at least, a small portion of it. His Semblance, dubbed the Will of Fire by an elder back in his home town, boosted his strength, stamina, and endurance by at least five times that of the average huntsman's already impressive aura supplement. It is always active and can only be increased, hence why Naruto came out practically unscathed when he was woken earlier that morning. Though he's never used it to it's full potential, Naruto has been told that the boost was supposedly twenty times that of a normal human. No one knew for sure though, because the last person to have a semblance _similar_ to his was his great-great-great-great maternal grandfather. Most of those documents were gone, lost to time.

These thoughts came to an abrupt end as Naruto began to pass through the tops of trees without trouble, and then was unaffected by the branches that smacked against his face. The trees, however, could not say the same as they lost the brief battle against the force Naruto struck them with. The whole time he descended towards the Emerald Forest's floor, he had not broken his pose.

"Wait for it...wait for it..." Naruto told himself as he neared the ground. He grinned widely as he threw his fist forward. "Now!"

Naruto's fist met the ground for naught a millisecond before the ground caved in. A crater that was obscenely large was created around Naruto's landing spot and for a moment, all he could see was dust. The dust was cleared by a gust of wind and Naruto stood up, without a scratch on his body. He beamed as he took in his landing's effect.

"Aw, yeah! That was awesome! I wanna do it again!"

* * *

"...Hm, that must've been the Uzumaki boy," the headmaster said nonchalantly as a cloud of dust shot up over a massive area of the Emerald Forest. He took a sip of his coffee mug's contents. "Very impressive. I think that's at least a mile in diameter."

Glynda Goodwitch sighed and shook her head as she looked at her scroll. "More like problematic in the future. His file did say he had a penchant for destruction."

"Yes. It also said he never left a project or minor job halfway finished." The headmaster let a smile cross his face, and the man turned to his longtime friend. "I believe this year is going to be very interesting, Glynda."

Glynda sighed and adjusted her glasses. "You say that every year, Professor Ozpin."

"This time, I mean it."

* * *

"There you are."

Sasuke looked up and smirked at the familiar Faunus he'd come to sort of befriend. "Your Aura Sense never fails you, does it?"

Kurama smirked as he adjusted the hold on his staff slightly and lowered his sunglasses. "Don't flatter me, Uchiha. You just want me nearby so that my Aura Transfer can boost your Kirin."

"Well, that and to ensure Naruto doesn't have access to it."

They shivered at the thought.

"Speaking of the idiot, did you feel the ground shake?" Kurama asked.

Sasuke chuckled and let his hand rest on the hilt of his sword. "The ground? I'm pretty sure he moved the planet with that stunt of his."

"Oh, so we should prepare for bizarre weather, then."

"Probably." Sasuke nodded. He looked around before he looked back at Kurama. "So...North then?"

"I retract my previous accusation. You only want me to be your compass." Kurama chuckled and began to walk away. "This way, Uchiha. I can get us to Ozpin's little relics with relative ease."

Sasuke blinked for a moment before he followed his new partner. "You do know you probably jinxed us, right?"

"Eh, what's the worst that could happen?"

"I take it back, _now_ you jinxed us."

* * *

Naruto let his hands rest behind his head as he walked through the forest without a care in the world. "I wonder who the first person I run into will be... I mean, I could work with Kurama easily. His Transfer and my Will of Fire would be unstoppable! However, on the off chance that I don't run into him before someone else does, I need to keep thinking about my options."

Naruto missed the snarl that came from behind him and the consequential leap that a shadowy figure made at him. It stopped and fell mid air as a large glowing needle stuck from the side of its neck.

"I mean, Sasuke wouldn't be that bad. He could cover my distance problem. But he likes to be close up, too. Not to mention he's an asshole like eighty percent of the time."

Another shadowy figure tried to pounce on Naruto, but like the last a glowing needle to the head took it out.

"Oh, what if I run into Yang? She'd be fun to team with. Plus, we could plan pranks together!"

Yet another figure tried to surprise attack the blond, only to be felled by yet another needle.

"Then there's her sister Ruby. She's cute, but she seems to have some confidence issues. Not to mention she's a bit on the short side. That's gotta be it."

A figure fell to a needle.

"Or Fem-Sasuke...Eh, probably not. She's probably as antisocial as Sasuke used to be."

Needle to monster neck.

"Jaune...No. Any guy that can't keep his stomach calm or wears footie pajamas I can't partner with. Even I'm not cool enough to cover for him."

Another needle imbedded itself in another shadow.

"There's Pyrrha. She's hot, strong, confident, and not to mention she has red hair. Always a plus in my book. I wonder what type of fighter she is, though..."

A bear-like shadow fell to the mysterious needle. Like the others before it, it turned into a shadowy wisp before it faded away to nothing.

"At least I know one thing," Naruto stopped walking and crossed his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes in thought. "I don't want that Sneeze girl as my partner." He opened his eyes and turned around when a rabbit hopped out of a bush. Naruto chuckled and rubbed his neck. "Man, I must be tense. Freaking out over a rabbit..."

Naruto tensed and brought his fists up as something dropped from the treetops. He relaxed when he saw it was the girl from before, who had started on the cliff on his left. She looked up at him with a small smile.

"It seems that we are partners." She gave a slight bow. "I hope I don't let you down."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Don't worry about it er, partner?"

"I am Haku Yuki." The girl offered her hand. Naruto took it in his own and gave her a firm shake.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" he replied with a grin. He retracted his hand and intertwined it with the other behind his head. "Man, Sasuke and Kurama are gonna be so jealous that my partner is a babe."

Haku twitched for a moment and then shuddered. Naruto stared at her for a moment before she relaxed and smiled at him.

"Actually, I'm a boy."

There was nothing but silence.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"...Huh, you're one pretty boy, Haku."

"So I've been told."

Another moment of silence passed.

"So...Do you know which way north is?"

Haku nodded and pointed to her- _his_ left. "This way."

"Cool. You wanna lead or should I?"

"You don't seem to take too much damage, it would only make sense for you to take the lead."

"...So you want to use me as a human shield?"

Haku laughed lightly. "A crude, but an unfortunately accurate simile."

Naruto let out his own chuckle as he started to lead the way. "It's fine. Gotta protect that pretty face of yours, I know how it is."

"...I'll be getting a lot of flak for my appearance, won't I?"

Naruto let out another chuckle. "Oh, you have no idea."

* * *

"Hey! You two! Wait up!"

Kurama and Sasuke stopped and turned around as two teens burst through the brush on their right. The first was a tall, broad shouldered teen with burnt orange hair and clad in grey and gold trimmed armor. The other was a teen more around their height with a Mohawk of green hair and a shaved head.

"You guys seem to know where you're going," the armored teen said as he brought out a large mace. "Maybe we should stick together."

"...There is safety in numbers," Sasuke said after a moment.

Kurama tilted his head in thought while his tail loosened for the briefest of moments. "Perhaps-"

"Dude, your belt's falling off." The other teen pointed at Kurama's waist.

"Mind of its own, I swear," Kurama said after he looked down and chuckled. He allowed his tail to fully unwind and looked at the two. "I hope you don't mind-"

"Wow, you poor bastard." The tall teen looked at Sasuke. "Got partnered with an animal, huh?"

"That's gotta suck. Has he stopped to mark his territory?" The other asked with a chuckle.

Whatever pleasant thoughts that either Sasuke or Kurama may have had about their two new companions vanished without any chance of return. Sasuke looked between the two before he looked back at Kurama.

"Would you like the honors?"

"I've already started." Kurama growled.

Sasuke nodded and looked at the confused duo. "May I have your names?"

"Er, yeah, I'm Cardin Winchester and this is my partner, Russell Thrush." The tall teen, Cardin, introduced himself. "Why?"

Sasuke smiled lightly. "I wished to know the names I'll have to write down for the search party."

Cardin frowned. "What's that supposed to-?"

"Hey, Cardin...I-I don't feel so hot..." Russell groaned as he stumbled back. His skin had lost some color and he slumped against a tree. "I think...I think I'm gonna sit down for-for a bi..."

Russell conked out mid word and fell to the ground.

Cardin looked at his fallen partner with worry and then looked at the other two. "Hey! Hey, what just happened?" His eyes started to droop. "Why...Why are...why's everything...getting...fuzzy?"

"Don't worry about it, Cardin Winchester." Kurama walked over to the taller boy and pressed the ring of his staff against the teen's head. "You'll only sleep for an hour or so...whether or not you become a Grimm's meal is not my concern."

Before Cardin could reply, Kurama pushed him back with his staff, and the knight-like teen fell to the forest floor, just as unconscious as his partner.

Sasuke stared at the downed duo for a moment before he looked at his partner. "You alright?"

Kurama sighed. "It's times like this I wish more idiots were like Naruto."

"...That's a terrifying thought."

"I know."

* * *

Naruto stopped and held a hand up. "Did you hear that?"

Haku nodded. "It sounded like a girl was in trouble."

"I think that was a girl..." Naruto mused with a smirk. "But, I could be wrong."

Haku sighed. "I cannot help that my genetics made me appear more feminine than masculine, Naruto."

"I know, I just like ragging on you." Naruto grinned. He turned around and began to walk backwards. "You know, I got a good feeling about all this. You've got the needle gun–"

"Snowfall." Haku corrected with a light smile as he looked down at his unique weapon. Dust crystals were shaped into needle-points that protruded from the back and made reloading and keeping track of his ammo simple.

"Right, that. While I have my badass Storm Breakers to take something out up close!" Naruto beamed as he looked at his gauntleted covered hands. "We're like a perfect yin-yang combo! You're all cool, quiet, and distant while I'm more 'in your face', loud and awesome!"

Haku smiled a bit more before he stopped walking and gained a concerned look. "Uh, Naruto?"

"I mean, even I know I can be loud, but I can't help it! It's way too fun to be loud!" Naruto laughed as he continued to walk backwards. "Not to mention I love being in the spotlight. Heck, if this Huntsman thing doesn't work out, I'm fully prepared to break off into a rock band or something!"

Haku gained a strained smile. "Yes, that's nice, but Naruto?"

"Doubt that'll happen though, because once I start something, I never give it up. You can count on that, because if there's one thing Naruto Uzumaki doesn't do, is give up!" Naruto grinned before he stopped walking and frowned. "Hey, what's up, why'd you stop walking, Haku?

"Um...Because of that." Haku pointed behind Naruto.

Naruto turned around and stared into soulless red eyes, most notably seen on a Grimm. He took a second to realize that he was in fact face to snout with a large bull-like Grimm, the white boney mask and armor that protected the creature's hide and head were littered with scars, at least a hundred in total. Two sharp horns protruded out of either side of the Grimm's head, both long enough to easily skewer three people each and still have room for more.

The ancient Grimm snorted and the foul breath blew right into Naruto's face.

"...Oh, crap-baskets."

* * *

 **AN: So there's a loop hole for you! You know what I want ya to do!**

 **REVIEW!**


	3. Knock Hard

**AN: The act of replacing the word 'God' with 'Oum' is because it is my tribute to the creator of this wonderful world. He supported fans everywhere to follow their hearts' desires and wanted us to make our dreams and goals come true. Monty Oum is not God in a literal sense, but to me, he created Remnant and its inhabitants. He is their Creator, their Origin. This is his world, I'm just borrowing it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do** _ **not**_ **own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **III: Knock Hard**

* * *

"It seems we're not the first ones here," Sasuke said dryly as he took note of the girl that Naruto and Kurama had deemed his 'female self'. She was not alone, as with her was the blonde bombshell that made every internal 'Naruto-sense' go off.

"I had to backtrack at least two miles to find you. Of course we're not going to be the first ones here!" Kurama rolled his eyes and nodded to the girls. "Ladies, a pleasure."

"No, no it is not." Sasuke shook his head.

Kurama gave his partner a confused look. "Why not?"

"Hey, you're the handsome guy that hung out with Whisker Boy," Yang said with a grin as she pointed at Sasuke. She gave him a flirtatious wink. "You rethink my offer of having a _Yang_ -ing threesome?"

Kurama looked horrified. "...Oh dear Oum, she's–"

"Just like him, I know." Sasuke cut Kurama off. He put a hand on his glasses-wearing friend's shoulder. "Give yourself a minute to come to terms with it."

Kurama braced himself on his knee and with his staff as he shuddered. "Oh merciful Oum...why do you hate me?"

"I asked myself that too," Sasuke said with a nod.

"I mean, a female Sasuke I could handle! Hell, it was almost welcomed!"

Sasuke glowered at his partner while Blake pinched the bridge of her nose.

Kurama continued despite this and pointed a shaky finger at Yang. "But that...that's too much. The only way this could get any worse...is if we ran into my female self." He rubbed his face and sighed. "Thankfully, the chances of that are slim to none."

Sasuke shook his head. "My partner...the only idiot who doesn't know when _not_ to say those accursed words or something like that. I should've tried to find Naruto, he wouldn't have jinxed me."

"Hey, I did _not_ jinx us!" Kurama snapped back with a frown. He gestured to the area. "Look around you. I got us to the relics without any Grimm interference!"

There was a crash and a boom by the edge of the forest. Sasuke and Kurama looked towards the sound before Sasuke looked at his partner.

"You were saying?"

"That could've been anything!" Kurama quickly replied. He tightened his grip on his staff and frowned as he looked back towards the unknown source of the crashing. "But...maybe you should grab a relic just to be safe."

Sasuke nodded and rushed over to a golden bishop, which he snatched off of the pedestal. He paused as he noted the other golden bishop remained as well and looked at the rest of the 'relics'. The black and gold pieces were all in pairs, save for the respective king and queen of either set.

 _If I'm right, then the teachers will bunch together the teams by the chess pieces. And there's already more than a few pairs that are gone._ Sasuke narrowed his eyes. With a quick thought, he snatched the other golden bishop, with plans to give it to his other friend just to be safe.

"Incoming."

The warning came from Blake, and Sasuke followed her gaze upwards towards the descending girl in red.

Yang narrowed her eyes. "Is that...Ruby?"

"Heads up!" The falling Ruby was blindsided by a blur of multiple colors and sent to the woods.

Kurama scratched his head. "I think that was Jaune..."

There was another crash and a masked bear-like Grimm, known as an Ursa, broke through the forest on their right. It reared onto its hind legs before it fell forward with a death rattle. On its back was a girl that made Sasuke freeze.

"Oh no..." he groaned.

Nora, unaware of the mental pain she'd unintentionally caused, looked down at the deceased Ursa with a frown. "Aw, it's broken."

Kurama looked at his partner with an arched brow. "Friend of yours?"

"Do you remember when we agreed that there was no one more insufferable than Naruto on a sugar high?"

"Yes?"

"We were wrong." Sasuke gained a faraway look in his eye. "Horribly, horribly wrong."

"...I'm starting to regret coming to Beacon." Kurama mumbled under his breath.

"So am I." Sasuke nodded slowly as Nora rushed by him without acknowledging his presence, something he thanked the heavens for vigorously.

There was another crash to their left and a massive scorpion-like Grimm with a white mask and golden stinger broke through the woods with Pyrrha running right in front of it.

"Did she just run through the forest with a _Deathstalker_ behind her?" Blake asked incredulously.

"... _Really_ starting to regret coming to Beacon." Kurama amended his previous statement.

Sasuke sighed. "We should get paid for coming here, not the other way around."

As if things couldn't get worse for the gathered teens, another Grimm burst through the forest, but this one had _two_ students with it instead of just one. In front of the bull-like creature, a familiar blond had his feet planted firmly in the ground while he struggled to keep the bull from flinging him off of it's face.

"Haku! Find that damn weak spot already!" Naruto yelled to his partner, who was on the Grimm's back and trying to find a weak point to capitalize on.

"The back and sides are too heavily armored!" Haku shouted back. He did a double take and widened his eyes when he saw that the other teens were in their path. He grew worried when none tried to move. "Naruto! Behind you!"

Naruto cracked open an eye and looked over the gaping group. His eyes landed on one figure in particular and a grin spread across his face. "Kurama! Transfer! Now!"

Kurama snapped out of his stupor and he reached out towards his blond friend. His red aura shone brightly before a bright stream shot out from Kurama's palm and collided with Naruto's back. Naruto's skin gained a reddish hue as Kurama's aura mixed with his own, but the other effect of the transfer slowed the Grimm's charge to a near halt as Naruto's strength doubled.

"Sasuke, think you can stun it long enough so that we can get away?" Naruto asked with a glance over his shoulder.

Sasuke nodded and released his hold on his sword. He held his hands up and closed his eyes as his black aura flared to life. Static started to jump around his hands for the briefest of seconds before clouds began to form overhead.

"Sasuke, hurry up and bring the rain!" Naruto ordered. "Haku, get ready to move!"

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he threw his hands down, just as a massive bolt of lightning descended from the sky onto the Bull-like Grimm. Before the lightning connected, the two partners currently engaging the Grimm leapt away and landed in front of Kurama and Sasuke. The monster released a roar of pain as it was electrocuted before it slumped to the ground, smoking. Sasuke panted and the sky started to clear up while Naruto whooped.

"Aw yeah! Who're the best Huntsmen? We are! Boo yah!"

"Um, correct me if I'm wrong, Naruto, but I think your celebrating is a bit too early," Haku said. Naruto gave him a confused look and Haku pointed up. "We have another problem."

Naruto looked up and grimaced as he saw a Nevermore. He frowned and squinted his eyes. "Wait...is that the Sneeze girl?"

"...Is it wrong that I hope she falls?" Kurama asked.

"Not really." Naruto, Sasuke and Blake replied.

"Yes!" Haku and the others said.

Kurama shrugged the opinions of the majority off. "Meh, my opinion matters more to me than yours."

"Yang!" The gathered teens looked to the side as Ruby jumped towards them from the tree, her silver eyes locked on her sister.

"Ruby!" Yang beamed and held her arms out to catch the younger girl.

"Nora!" The eccentric orange haired girl cheered as she popped up between the two sisters before they could be properly reunited.

Naruto snickered. "I like her."

"Down boy." Kurama ordered, he looked to the other side at the sound of a loud smack. "Incoming redhead, three o'clock."

"I got this one!" Naruto proclaimed as he stepped forward and held his arms out. He caught Pyrrha as she collided with his side and he gave her a cheesy grin. "Long time no see, Pyrrha. You don't write, you don't call...It's why I'm starting to think you don't like me."

Pyrrha smiled back at him as she stood up on her feet. "Thank you, Naruto."

"Don't mention it." Naruto waved off with a smile. "I'd catch any pretty girl that was sent flying by a Deathstalker's claw."

"Oh, good, we're all here, now we can die together." Yang cheerfully threw in while Pyrrha flushed at the compliment.

"Help!"

The group looked up again at Weiss' cry. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, I think she's going to fall."

"She'll be fine." Kurama waved off his concern.

"She's falling." Ren and Sasuke pointed out.

"Think we'll get a reward for digging her mangled corpse a grave?" Kurama asked.

"Dude, that was too dark." Naruto reprimanded his friend.

Kurama snorted and rested Rikudo against his shoulder. "Says you."

"No, I must agree with Naruto," Haku said. "Even for a family with a reputation like the Schnee, you should show kindness in situations like this."

Kurama huffed and watched as Jaune leapt from the trees towards her. "Oh look, PJ is playing hero."

"Aw, they grow up so fast," Naruto said as he wiped a fake tear away from his eye. "So, how's he going to protect them on the way down? Think his Semblance is something like a, I dunno, shield? Maybe it gives him the mad hops."

Pyrrha grimaced as she watched Jaune and Weiss fall. "I don't know if Jaune knows what a Semblance is, let alone what his may be."

"...You're kidding me." Sasuke blanched. He looked at Naruto and then up at the descending duo. "Wow, there's a blond guy that's dumber than Naruto. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean, jackass!?"

"You know, Naruto, if you moved fast enough I think you could – never mind." Haku winced as Jaune hit the ground with a loud smack and Weiss fell directly on his spine. "Oh...He's going to need medical attention."

"My hero."

"My back!"

Naruto chuckled and then cracked his knuckles. "Well, I guess we should probably do something about the Nevermore and the Deathstalker. Dibs on the flying one!"

"I need at least another five minutes before I can use Kirin all out again." Sasuke noted as he looked at his sparking hand. He snapped his fingers and pulled out a golden bishop. Sasuke tossed the 'relic' to his friend. "Here, I figured you'd forget to snatch it if someone didn't grab it for you."

"Oh, right! Relics." Naruto hummed as he looked it over. "What do you think it is?"

Haku chuckled. "That's a bishop from a chess set, Naruto."

"Oh...I knew that!"

"This is all fine and dandy," Kurama said as he twisted Rikudo's pole and it shifted into a rifle form. Kurama started to fire off shots at the approaching Deathstalker. "But we have _bigger_ problems to worry about than whether or not the idiot can identify a chess piece!"

"Oi!"

"I got it!" Ruby cried out as she rushed forward.

"Ruby, wait!" Yang reached out as if to grab the girl and sighed. "Crap!"

"Not one for plans is she?" Naruto asked. He looked over and paled as he saw his monstrous Grimm start to stir. "Um, Haku...The Bull is getting up."

"Oh, crap-baskets." Haku grimaced and prepared Snowfall.

"Huh, so you say that too? I thought Naruto was the only one," Kurama mused. He looked at Sasuke. "I hope their not too much alike, right? ...Sasuke?"

Sasuke was staring at Haku with a small pink hue in his cheeks.

"Oi, Uchiha! Gawk later, snap out of it!" Kurama barked as he slapped the boy upside the head. He ignored the glare he received for the action and pointed at the Grimm Bull. "We got bigger problems than your confused sexual identity."

Sasuke glared at his partner. "I do not have a confused identity!"

Ignoring his two friends, Naruto let his Semblance rise slightly until his skin began to glow lowly and brought his fists up. "Alright, round two big guy! And this time, _I'm_ charging at _you_!"

"Wait! It's not up yet, we should stay together as long as there's no immediate threat." Haku suggested.

Pyrrha nodded. "She's right. Our best hope is to band together against these beasts until we can make an escape."

Naruto snickered and Haku sighed as the redheaded girl misidentified him. Kurama let a smirk cross his face, since he could smell the gender, and Sasuke nodded in agreement with Pyrrha. He drew his sword, a curved Chinese sabre, and spun it in his hand so it unfolded into a bow with a Dust launcher attached to the string.

"We have more support roles here, we can hang back and take pot shots at them," Sasuke said. He looked at Nora and Ren. "Do you two have distance weaponry?"

"Yep-yep, Duck Butt!" Nora chirped as she pulled out a grenade launcher. She ignored the glare Sasuke gave her as she patted the weapon lovingly. "Magnhild's ready to make things explode!"

Ren merely let bladed guns slide out from his sleeves and nodded. "We can provide cover fire if necessary."

"I can as well," Pyrrha said with her spear now in a rifle form similar to Rikudo's, but without the golden scope. "I'm more attuned to close combat, though."

"That's fine-"

"Ruby!" Yang's horrified cry cut Sasuke off and the group turned to take in the scenario. Apparently, the Nevermore had fired its feathers, each about as large as the average human, at the retreating scythe wielder. One feather snagged Ruby's red cloak and the others had trapped Yang. All the while, the Deathstalker approached Ruby with ill intent.

"...Well, she's boned." Kurama deadpanned. He was thankfully proven wrong as a white blur shot past Yang and halted the Deathstalker's golden stinger and right claw. Kurama's eye twitched. "...She did that just to make me look like an ass."

"It's all about you, isn't it?" Sasuke asked as he watched Ruby and Weiss have a quick, heartfelt chat.

"Duh."

"Well, glad to see you two made up," Yang said as she, Ruby and Weiss rejoined the group.

"Those aren't the words I would use, but I suppose it's fine." Weiss muttered before she glared at Kurama and he replied with a raised finger. Her attention went to the madly grinning Naruto and her glare intensified. "You, however, I still don't like."

Naruto put his hands over his chest and gained a pained look. "Oh, Ms. Sneeze...The wound goes deep."

"It's Schnee!"

"Um, the bird thing is coming back." Jaune pointed out nervously. He grimaced as the Deathstalker's trapped claw and stinger started to crack the ice. "Oh man. How are we going to fight both of these things?"

"Well, we don't have to fight," Ruby said.

Naruto cupped his mouth. "Boo! No one likes a quitter!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke and Kurama snapped at him as they smacked him upside the head.

"Gah! My brain!"

"Anyway...the objective is right in front of us, right?" Ruby gestured to the relics and grinned at the gathered teens. "We just need to get the relics and go back to the cliff, don't we?"

"Hey, yeah, that's right!" Jaune grinned. "Grab the item and run to live another day? I can get behind that plan."

"Aw, but guys, think of the unsupervised violence!" Naruto whined. He hung his head as everyone seemed to ignore him. "You guys are no fun."

Haku smiled and patted his partner on the back. "There, there, Naruto. I'm sure there'll be another chance for you to, er, bust some heads?"

Naruto sighed and grinned at his partner. "Yeah, you're probably right, Haku! Man, you're the best partner a guy could ask for."

Jaune and Ruby rushed up to the platforms and grabbed their own 'relics' before they regrouped and ran south towards the cliffs. Yang lingered behind for a second, which prompted Naruto and Blake to slow up.

"What is it?" Blake asked her partner.

Yang sent a meaningful glance to Ruby as she stopped and oversaw the group for a moment before she continued to lead the way.

Naruto let a small laugh leave his mouth and intertwined his hands behind his head. "This is one of those proud sibling moments, isn't it?"

"Something like that, Whisker Boy." Yang chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Come on, before they leave us behind."

* * *

The group of twelve broke through the woods into some misty ruins. Sasuke, at the head of the rear, looked up as a shadow passed overhead.

"Scatter!" He cried and the massive group did so. Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss broke off to the right and Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora went left while Sasuke, Kurama, Naruto and Haku ran straight ahead. The respective partners fell behind massive pillars in the area as the Nevermore perched on a tower not far ahead. The trees rustled and the Deathstalker burst through with a shrill cry.

"Oh man, run!" Jaune ordered as he led Pyrrha deeper into the ruins.

"Nora, distract the bird," Ren said as he raced to regroup with the others.

"Come on, hurry up!" Sasuke said as he started to fire dust arrows at the Deathstalker to slow its approach.

"We'll cover you!" Kurama called to Ruby as he fired at the bird while Nora laughed and did the same with her grenade launcher. The Nevermore let out an infuriated shriek before it swooped away to circle around.

Nora let out a cheerful laugh. "Bye-bye, Birdy!"

"Nora, head's up!" Ren warned his partner as he and Blake fended off the Deathstalker before it could blindside her. Sasuke ran towards them and added his own melee to the group as his bow shifted back into a Dao sword.

The trees rustled again and a loud bellow made Naruto look up. A wild grin crossed his face as his eyes landed on the charging Grimm Bull. "Oh yeah! _Now_ it's round two, ugly! Kurama!"

"Got it!" Kurama put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and filled him with red aura. He took hip fire shots with Rikudo's rifle mode at the charging bull until Naruto's skin and eyes had turned a bright red. "That's all I can give you for now. You'd lose control if I gave you any more."

"It'll be enough. Haku, cover them and keep an eye out for that Nevermore!" Naruto told his partner before he shot forward with a crazed laugh. "Come on, Big Boy! Let's rock this joint!"

"Is he alright?" Ruby asked as she helped perform cover fire with her rifle while Yang went to join Nora in attacking the Deathstalker.

"This is what he lives for," Kurama said as he turned and fired at the approaching Nevermore. "Anyone with good aim and long distance focus on the Nevermore! Mid to close range fighters, take the Deathstalker!"

"What about the Bull?" Haku asked.

There was a loud bang followed by a roar and after that came another crazed laugh. "Come on, ya pansy! That the best you got!?"

"Let Naruto hold it off for now," Kurama said as he took aim at the Nevermore's wing. The massive bird-like Grimm let out another angry shriek and fled once more. Kurama looked back and took in the situation with the Deathstalker. "Sasuke! I don't think it's big enough to cross this bridge!"

"Then we retreat to the tower!" Sasuke called back. He shifted his sword back into a bow and began to retreat while he took shots at the scorpion-like Grimm. "Fall back! Get to the tower!"

"Go-go-go!" Pyrrha ordered as she turned her spear into a rifle and joined Sasuke in providing cover fire.

Yang, Blake, Weiss and Nora ran past Ruby and Kurama with Jaune not too far behind them. Haku and Ren stopped to provide some rapid-fire support to Sasuke and Pyrrha once they made it to the middle of the bridge. Ruby and Kurama were the last to start their approach to the bridge and barely made it before the claw of their current foe slammed into their previous location. The Deathstalker let out an infuriated shriek when it couldn't reach them.

Ruby looked to their left as another shriek rang through the air and her eyes went wide. "Nevermore!"

"Jump!" Kurama cried out as the Nevermore flew low and took out a large portion of the stone bridge. Those that were crossing thankfully made it across without much trouble.

Jaune got up to his feet and went to the edge of the gap. He clenched his hand into a fist when he saw the Deathstalker approaching the four on the other side. "We need to give them more support."

"Yes we do." Kurama agreed as he looked past the Deathstalker and saw Naruto get knocked into the stone ruins by the Grimm Bull. He scowled. "Idiot needs to find the cap of his damn Semblance before he gets himself killed."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go help them!" Nora proclaimed.

Jaune shuffled uneasily for a moment. "I don't think any of us could jump that far."

"Probably not, but I know how a lever works," Kurama said as he looked to Nora. He grabbed Jaune and dragged the blond back with him before he gave the girl a thumb's up. Nora grinned at him and pulled Magnhild from its place on the small of her back before it shifted into a large hammer that she lifted up over her head.

"No, this is a bad idea! Bad idea! Bad idea!" Jaune cried out as he saw Nora bring her hammer down. The portion of the bridge she struck sank downwards while the portion Kurama and Jaune stood on shot into the air like when they were fired from the springboards they used earlier that morning.

Nora laughed and stood on the head of Magnhild and pulled a trigger that fired a grenade, which propelled her across the gap. She flipped over her friends and brought her hammer down right on the Deathstalker's head just as Jaune landed in a heap beside Pyrrha and Kurama landed in a roll next to Sasuke.

"Bout time you got here," Sasuke said with a wry grin. He looked past the Deathstalker at the Bull that was currently driving Naruto through all of the stone wall on the right of the valley. "That idiot's going to get himself killed."

"Yep." Kurama agreed. He looked over at Pyrrha as Nora unleashed another grenade into the Deathstalker's face. "Can you four handle this?"

Pyrrha looked to Ren, who nodded, and then at Jaune, who drew his sword and shakily did the same. She looked back with a small smile. "We will take care of the Deathstalker, go help Naruto."

"Don't have to tell us twice." Kurama grinned back as he and Sasuke ran past the Deathstalker on either side while Haku rushed forward and climbed up the stuck stinger. They bypassed the Deathstalker and ran towards the sounds of roars and bangs.

As he approached the Grimm Bull, with Naruto nowhere in sight, Haku flicked his wrist and Snowfall shifted from a gun into a whip, with the Dust needles forming the tip, and used the weapon to grab hold of the Grimm Bull's horn as it ran past.

"You're just going to get pulled back!" Sasuke cried out.

Haku gave him a smile and put his hand in the air. A second later and the air in front of his hand shimmered before it became a square ripple that solidified into a reflective glass. Haku vanished into the glass and his whip accompanied him. The whip went taught and the Grimm Bull's head jerked down onto the ground, which made a large trench as it did.

Kurama blinked at the sight and started when Haku stepped out of thin air next to him. "How did you-?"

"My Semblance," Haku said quickly as he twisted his wrist and the whip unwound itself from the Bull before it followed him through the glass and appeared beside him. Haku shifted Snowfall back into the gun form and looked at Kurama. "I call it Mirror. It allows me to travel quickly between short distances in a void between time and space. Unfortunately because of this passage, I cannot take another living person with me."

"...Still, that's impressive." Kurama noted. He shifted Rikudo from the rifle form back into the staff and flicked his wrist. The blades that dangled from the ring of the staff went straight and aligned at the top to form a spear. "The most I can do is take someone's aura and add it to my own or to another person's. Aura Transfer. As well as a high Aura sense."

"Is that why your eyes are always concealed?" Haku asked.

Kurama hesitated for a moment. "Yes."

"Enough chatter, where's the idiot?" Sasuke asked as he joined his partner and the pretty girl he met the night before.

"You thought you could keep me down, huh? Not so tough down here!" A boisterous cry made the three look over towards the Bull as Naruto charged at it. His grin was wild and crazed and his left fist was brought back behind his head. The punch was unleashed at the Bull's chin and the massive Grimm flew back a couple yards. Naruto didn't let up and continued to assault the Grimm with a cackle of glee crossed with one of insanity.

Kurama sighed. "This is why I'm glad I became your partner, Sasuke. He can't handle my Faunus Aura as well as you can."

"Speaking of, think you can give me a charge to boost Kirin?" Sasuke asked.

Kurama nodded and placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He looked at Haku as he transferred his Aura to his partner. "Help the idiot while we prepare to take the Grimm down, will you?"

Haku gave a nod and a small smile. "Of course, he is my partner."

"Good on you." Kurama grinned back as the feminine boy slipped into another one of his 'mirrors'. Kurama looked at Sasuke, whose eyes were shut and a small flush had painted itself across his face. Kurama's grin turned into a smirk.

"Well, well...It seems that _someone_ has a bit of a crush on the new member of our little group."

"Kurama, shut up." Sasuke snapped with a frown. He turned his head away slightly. "Besides, you saw her. She's gorgeous."

Kurama's smirk widened. Sasuke thought Haku was a girl? Oh, he was _so_ going to milk this for all that it was worth. Now all he had to do, aside from survive the monster Grimm attacks, was insure that neither Naruto nor Haku himself ruined this for him. Keeping this thought in mind, Kurama only said one more thing to his partner.

"Well, at least I can tell Naruto that you're definitely over the Librarian fetish."

"I never had a damn fetish!"

* * *

"Up! Up! Down! Down! Left! Right! Left! Right! Back hand! And ...hammer shot!" Naruto cackled as he finished off his ten punch combo with a double fisted hammer punch to the Grimm Bull's snout. The Grimm flew back and collapsed the remains of the stone wall while Naruto laughed. "Eat that, _bitch_! I call it the Ko Nami Combo!"

A hand gently placed itself on Naruto's shoulder and the red-eyed blond turned to face the owner of said hand. Haku nodded towards the other two boys and then looked up as clouds formed overhead. "I think we should probably fall back, Naruto."

Naruto let out a whine as he looked from Haku to the slowly rising Grimm Bull and back. "But I'm winning!"

"It would seem that way, but if you haven't noticed, none of your attacks have left any real damage to the Grimm's body." Haku pointed out. They looked back as a loud bang echoed around the valley. The tower started to collapse after the Nevermore had flown through it and the Deathstalker seemed to have the upper hand against the four that faced it. "Not to mention, we could help out the others if we finish one off.

"...Yeah, you're right, we should finish this." Naruto sighed as his eyes reverted back to a calm ocean blue. His skin lost the red sheen and once more gained a bright golden glow as he faced the rising Grimm Bull. Naruto looked at Haku and arched a brow. "If I can get it to expose its stomach, can you pin it down with that whip thing?"

"Easily, I just need a clear path through its legs," Haku said with a nod.

Naruto slammed his fists together and his gauntlets whirred as two barrels popped up on the back of his fists. "Alright! Let's end this already with a big bang!"

He charged forward just as the Grimm Bull stepped out of the rubble his last attack caused. Naruto threw his left hand behind him and tightened his fist as a shot fired from the barrel on his hand. The gunshot propelled him through the air to close the gap between him and the Grimm, but before he could impact with its face, Naruto spun so that he would slide on his back under the Grimm Bull's head.

"Eat this, you overgrown piece of steak!" Naruto's right fist flew forward and collided with the Grimm's shadowy skin before the barrel on the back of his hand unleashed a large blast into the Grimm.

The Grimm Bull reared back and was toppled as Haku used his Semblance to quickly disappear through several of his mirrors. With Snowfall in its whip mode, Haku was able to form a tight binding that kept the Grimm Bull's underbelly exposed. A final ripple appeared next to Naruto who grabbed the outstretched hand of his partner to pull him through and keep the whip taught.

"Sasuke, they've got it!" Kurama announced as his aura mixed with Sasuke's and the latter threw his hands towards the darkened sky. Sasuke's now red eyes snapped open and he threw his hands down with a yell as a massive bolt of lightning, three times that of the last one that struck the Grimm Bull, descended from the heavens. The Grimm Bull, unable to move due to the binds, let out a bellow before the lightning bolt struck it.

The monster was electrocuted to black wisps just as Ruby managed to decapitate the Nevermore and the Deathstalker's impaled body fell into the abyss below the collapsed tower.

Haku twisted his wrist and Snowfall returned to its gun mode while Naruto let out a triumphant cry as he threw his fists into the air.

"Aw, yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Naruto exclaimed joyfully before he threw his arm around Haku's neck in a hug. "We charbroiled that thing!"

"Indeed we did." Haku let a chuckle escape him while he slumped to the ground in mild exhaustion. "I don't remember the last time I've made so many mirrors."

" _That_ was cool, too! I was right, you're an awesome partner!" Naruto laughed as he waved at the others as they started to return their trek back towards Beacon. "Yo! Who else wants to go find another Grimm?!"

"No!" The other ten yelled back at him.

"You guys are _lame_!"

* * *

"Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Russell Thrush and Sky Lark. You retrieved the Black Bishop pieces and from this day forward, you four will work together as Team CRDL (Cardinal), lead by Cardin Winchester." Ozpin's voice echoed through the auditorium as the teams for the first year students were announced. From the side behind their eight other friends, Naruto and Haku clapped politely while Sasuke and Kurama glared or sneered at the two they had encountered in the forest.

"I was really hoping those guys would get eaten." Kurama muttered to his partner.

Sasuke nodded. "As was I."

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie." Ozpin nodded as the four in question stepped forward while the applause died down. "The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces."

Naruto frowned. "But I thought they were gold?"

"Shush, Naruto." Haku nudged his partner with a small smile on his face as Ozpin continued.

"The four of you will work together as Team JNPR (Juniper)," Ozpin said. His next words made a few in the group of twelve blink in surprise or cheer, as Naruto did. "Led by Jaune Arc."

"Yeah! Go PJ!" Kurama whooped from his place on the wall while Naruto whistled loudly as the boy stuttered in surprise. They laughed with many others as Pyrrha's congratulatory shoulder punch knocked him to the ground.

The room quieted once more as the four girls walked onto the stage, save for a few catcalls. Yang ate it up and gave a wave to the room, winking at Naruto when he gave his own whistle.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao-Long, the four of you retrieved the White Knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team RWBY (Ruby)." Ozpin let a small smile cross his face as he looked at the youngest of the four girls. "Led by Ruby Rose."

"Good job, Ruby." Haku nodded in approval next to Sasuke.

"Yeah! Go Ruby!" Naruto cheered while Kurama gave a whistle and clapped.

Ruby was gob smacked while her sister engulfed her in a hug. She could hardly talk as they walked off stage and Naruto led his merry band of four up.

"And finally, Kurama Ōtsutsuki, Naruto Uzumaki, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haku Yuki. You four retrieved the White Bishop pieces–"

"They were gold." Naruto cut in, which caused him to get elbowed by his partner. "Ow."

Luckily, Ozpin continued without taking notice of his interjection. "And from henceforth you shall be known as Team NHKS (Knox), led by Naruto Uzumaki."

"Yes! Eat that, Kon Academy! Who's most likely to end up in jail or eaten by a Grimm now!?" Naruto cheered with a wide grin as the room applauded for him. He brought Haku into a one armed hug and lightly punched his shoulder. "It's official, we're going to be the greatest team on Remnant!"

Haku chuckled and patted his partner's arm. "If you say so, Naruto. But, please loosen your grip."

Kurama chuckled while Sasuke sighed. "We're never going to get hired after our first job."

"Probably not," Kurama said with a smile. "But it's sure as hell going to be four fun years."

"That's if our leader doesn't get us expelled."

"Eh, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

 **AN: How else did you expect me to end this chapter? The reason their team name is Knox is due to the attribution of Fort Knox being home to the US' horde of gold. Naruto's hair and theme is gold, hence, Knox. Is it a color? No, but it kind of fits the ongoing color theme. Maybe?**

 **Alright it's a stretch, sue me. You try finding a color that starts with N and has sounds of the letters H, K, and S!**

 **REVIEW!**


	4. Day One

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **IV: Day One**

* * *

"Most pretty...so beautiful...Yes, lovelies, I love you all...Even you..." Naruto had a silly grin on his face as he slept in his assigned bed. The grin widened as he snuggled into his bed and drool started to pool round his cheek. "I love you all...My wonderful...luscious...well-rounded and...smoking hot...your _giant_... _big_... _squeezable_... _noodles_...I love you, Ramen..."

Haku stared at his slumbering partner with mild surprise while he waited for the bathroom to become open. He had awoken early at six, but was surprised to find that Kurama had beaten him to the bathroom. Sasuke was just now starting to stir while Naruto, well...

"Ramen noodles...so yummy...I want... in my tummy..."

He was still in dreamland.

"Didn't peg him to be such a talkative sleeper did you?" Kurama's voice startled the other boy slightly. Haku arched a brow as he took in the...modified uniform that Kurama wore. He'd ditched the jacket entirely and replaced the blue vest with a red one along with a tie that had a curled up fox pin in the middle of it, rather than the plain red tie they had been issued. His sunglasses were back in place, and Haku was slightly curious as to what the Faunus' eyes looked like.

Realizing he'd yet to answer Kurama's question, Haku gave him a sheepish smile. "I hardly know anything about any of you. We all sort of rushed to our rooms and went to bed. You three fell asleep before I had even finished my evening wash."

Kurama nodded and brought his tail around in order for him to brush it. "Sorry about that, but I had drained two other students in the forest and empowered Naruto twice along with Sasuke's one time. It was taxing for me. Sasuke, likewise, was exhausted from using his Semblance along with my aura. Naruto...He's just a lazy bastard."

Haku chuckled sheepishly and gathered his clothes. "So I see. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll shower and dress before the other two wake up."

"Sure thing. Don't worry about any fuzzy surprises, I don't shed when I bathe." Kurama chuckled at his own weak joke while Haku let out a soft laugh of his own. Kurama waited until the bathroom door had shut and the shower had started before he looked over to his partner. "Haku's in the shower now, you can stop covering yourself."

"Screw you, Ōtsutsuki." Sasuke grumbled as he sat up and covered his morning problem with his blanket. "How the hell are you and Naruto not having this problem with her so close by?"

Kurama's grin widened while he carefully brushed his tail. "I can't say anything for the ramen addict, but as for me? I'm not that interested in you hairless apes. I plan to find myself a nice Faunus girl later in life and have a litter or two like my father did."

Sasuke snorted and waited for a few minutes before his morning problem went away. He looked around the rather bland room and then looked over at the generic clock on the wall. "Only six forty-five? We've got less than two hours before classes start."

"Well, would you like to wake sleeping beauty or – GAH!" Kurama suddenly went rigid and clapped his hands over his ears as he fell off of his bed to the floor. "Son of a _bitch_! Who blew that whistle!?"

"Who? What? Where's the ramen thief!?" Naruto asked after he shot up from his bed ready to fight. He looked around the room and then frowned. "Hey...This isn't Ichiraku's All-You-Can-Eat Ramen Buffett!"

"That was just a dream, idiot." Sasuke grumbled as he wiggled a finger in his ear. He got up and went over to the window, which he promptly slammed shut. "Soundproofed up until you leave a window open."

"When I find whoever blew that goddamned whistle I'm going to kill them," Kurama said with a low growl as he got back to his feet and adjusted his glasses. He fixed his uniform and looked at his tail and the comb on the floor. "Oh, dammit, I lost count!"

"Aw, man, that was just another dream!?" Naruto sulked. He raised a fist to the ceiling and shook it menacingly. "Curse you reality! You show me happiness and then snatch it away before I can partake in it!"

"Partake in what?" The three looked at Haku as he stepped out of the shower in the men's uniform. Sasuke looked very surprised at this while Naruto and Kurama merely glanced at him.

Naruto gave the uniform a once over and shook his head while his arms crossed over his shoulders firmly. "I'm _not_ wearing that. Too stuffy."

Kurama sighed. "Naruto, you can modify your uniform _slightly_ , but you must wear it to class."

"Make me!"

Kurama looked at Sasuke, who stood up and promptly went to the bathroom with his clothes in his arm. It was his way of saying, "This is your problem, and I'll let you deal with it."

Frankly, Kurama felt as though his partner had ditched him. With an aggravated sigh, Kurama looked at his longtime friend. "Naruto-"

Naruto's eyes darted to the Faunus. "Kurama, that thing tells me that the wearer is high class, obnoxious, snotty, no fun and bland! I am none of those things!"

Kurama sighed. "Well, you're wrong on two accounts."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked with a scowl.

"Naruto," Haku said as he put a hand on his partner's shoulder before Kurama could answer him. "As our team leader, you are expected to set an example. By not conforming to the rules, you make yourself look ill-suited to be the team leader and make us look unequipped or unprepared for the challenges that we face ahead."

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms childishly. "Yeah, but...there's no orange."

"And thus we come to the _real_ problem with the uniform," Kurama said with a roll of his eyes. He gestured to himself. "Naruto, look at me. I all but ditched the jacket and swapped out the vest and tie. This is still acceptable and you can wear your uniform however you wish."

"...I gotta wear the shoes, shirt and pants, though?"

"And a tie." Kurama added.

Naruto grimaced. "I hate dressing nice."

"I totally agree." Kurama nodded. They looked up as Sasuke walked out with the jacket and vest over his shoulder.

"They can't seriously expect us to wear these without modifying them, can they?" Sasuke asked.

Haku looked down at himself and arched a brow. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"That's because it suits you," Sasuke said with a smile. Naruto blinked in confusion while Kurama smirked and snickered. Before the leader of Team NHKS could ask what was so funny, Sasuke looked at him. "Your turn to shower, idiot. Don't use all the water in the ocean."

"You guys are so mean..." Naruto huffed as he disappeared into the bathroom with the uniform and a few other clothes in his arms.

Haku looked at the two and folded his arms over his chest. "He does have a point. That's rather cruel to call your friend an idiot multiple times."

"True, but we're just ribbing him." Sasuke shrugged. "He's not dumb, but he's not the brightest bulb in the house, either. He knows when we're kidding around. However, we probably should warn you about his classroom...habits."

"Habits?" Haku asked as he ignored the loud bangs that came from a nearby room.

Sasuke and Kurama exchanged a look before Kurama turned to Haku. "Naruto does not do well in classrooms."

"Does he have a learning disorder?" Haku asked.

Sasuke shook his head as he pulled on a navy vest that had his symbol on the back. "No, he's just _bored_. He never really understood what use any technical words or theories could have in a field. He's a kinesthetic learner through and through. Outside of class and on a mission, there's no one else I'd want to lead me."

Kurama nodded. "He's very good at what he does."

"Interesting," Haku said as he took in this new information about his partner. His thoughts were put on hold as Naruto came out of the bathroom in part of the school uniform without the jacket on. His white shirt's sleeves were rolled up to his bicep, and somehow in the few minutes Naruto was in the bathroom, another patch with Naruto's swirl-like symbol was sewn almost professionally into the right shoulder. Unlike his friends, he'd kept the navy vest with Beacon's insignia and Naruto was in the process of adjusting his orange tie.

"This thing is such a pain," Naruto said with a sigh as he gave up. He looked around at the surprised looks on his friend's faces. "What?"

"...Damn, stupid, you clean up good. If you had dressed up more often back in Kon, I think you could've had at least two girlfriends by now." Kurama mused with a grin. He was comfortable with his sexuality enough to know when a fellow male looked good, but whereas Haku was nearly a girl in beauty or Sasuke had the right angles that gave off the prince-like appearance, Naruto was the handsome rogue, much like himself.

"Oi! I had a girlfriend!"

"A few dates with a girl doesn't make her your girlfriend, Naruto." Sasuke drawled.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at the door when there was another bang. "Geez, who's being so crazy at a stupid hour?"

"Probably PJ," Kurama said nonchalantly as he resumed brushing his tail.

"Think they're up?" Naruto asked as he leaned against his designated dresser. He watched Haku and Sasuke as they began to make their beds and looked at his mess with an indifferent gaze.

"Hard not to be after that whistle." Kurama grumbled.

* * *

An hour later, Naruto led his team out of their room, with Haku beside him looking at their schedule and map of Beacon. Kurama followed behind them, his brushed tail swished lazily inches from the ground, and Sasuke walked alongside him, his face buried in the most recent release of 'Ninjas of Love'.

"You know, a lot of people give the Toad crap for his dirty books, but I have to say, there's some decent plot here." Sasuke mused.

"I still can't believe you're reading that in public." Haku muttered distractedly as he looked on the map for their first class.

To Sasuke, however, it sounded angry and he grimaced.

Kurama saw this and grinned widely. Oh, this could be fun.

"I totally agree," he said with a nod. "Only the most perverted men can read such garbage in public."

Sasuke snapped the book shut and glared at Kurama, who merely gave him a grin in return.

Naruto, who walked lazily with his hands intertwined behind his head, paused as a faint yell came from somewhere behind him. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Haku, Kurama and Sasuke asked. Kurama's tail flicked and he tilted his head.

"Hm, I think our clock's off by a few minutes," he said.

Haku lowered the map and looked back at him. "Why do you say that?"

Kurama stepped to the side of the walk and gestured for the others to do the same. "Well, for one thing, most of the Aura I sense is already gathered in large groups. However, there are a few small groups, including us, that are outside of the gathered areas. Two such small groups are rapidly approaching and should pass by in five, four, three, two..."

"WE'RE LATE!" Jaune cried out as he and his team followed Team RWBY. Naruto waved at the two teams as they shot past and then let his hands rest behind his head.

"We should probably fix our clock." Sasuke noted as he pulled his book out from behind his back. He'd seen what happened to a few boys that dared show some girls they read the series, and with a group comprised of six girls, Sasuke didn't want to take any chances. He was already on thin ice with Haku as it is.

"Meh, what's done is done." Naruto shrugged. "Can't fix the past."

"But you can determine the future."

Team NHKS looked to their right as Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stopped at the intersection beside them. Ozpin had his coffee mug in hand while Glynda had her scroll out and was looking something over.

Naruto smiled at the headmaster and gave a small wave. "Morning, Professor!"

"Mr. Uzumaki." Ozpin nodded back and took a sip from his mug. "Aren't you worried about being late for class?"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and let one of his hands fall to his side while the other rubbed his neck. "Eh, we weren't five minutes ago when we thought our room's clock was working fine, but now that we know otherwise, there wasn't much chance for us to be on time anyway. As my old teacher Kakashi use to say, why hurry when we'll already be declared late?"

Ozpin let a small smile cross his face. "Kakashi Hatake? I was not aware he'd taken to teaching. He's a good huntsman, a wise man as well."

" _Wise_ is not the word I would use to describe him." Glynda drawled as she looked up from her scroll and her gaze landed on Naruto and his team. She shut her scroll with a snap and crossed her arms. "Mr. Uzumaki, where are your jackets and ties?"

"Eh, we ditched 'em. They were too stuffy," Naruto said with a shrug. Sasuke clapped his hand over his face while Kurama chuckled at the blunt honesty. Haku merely sighed and folded his campus map up, there was no real reason to have it out anymore since, like Naruto said, they were already late.

"Mr. Uzumaki, it is listed in Beacon Academy's rules for students to attend classes in uniform." Glynda frowned at the boy.

Ozpin cleared his throat and looked at his friend. "Now, Glynda, you as well as I know that adjustments can be made or accessories can be added to the uniform. In this case, it seems that Team NHKS has decided to exchange some materials while keeping with the style."

"Professor Ozpin..." Glynda began to say only to stop herself and sigh. "Of course, Professor. It is your school."

"Quite." Ozpin agreed with a small smile before he looked at Team NHKS. "And while your tardiness today can be overlooked, I would advise you not let it become a habit, Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto let a nervous chuckle out and nodded. "Right, sorry Professor Ozpin."

"Professor, since you're here could you tell us where our classroom is?" Haku asked politely.

Ozpin nodded and pointed down the way Teams RWBY and JNPR had run. Team NHKS walked off after thanking him and the headmaster took a sip of his coffee. "A nice group of boys, aren't they Glynda?"

"Mr. Uzumaki and Mr. Ōtsutsuki are highly rated in combat, but their penchant for mischief and troublemaking when together worries me," Glynda said as she adjusted her glasses. "And while Mr. Uchiha and Mr. Yuki are not prone to the same delinquency, I do not have confidence that they'll be able to contain the other two."

"So you have informed me time and again when we reviewed their initiation." Ozpin wryly replied before he took another sip from his coffee mug and continued his stroll.

* * *

"My grandfather said 'Peter, you've' – Oh, hello, boys!" A rotund man at the front of a classroom said when Team NHKS came in through the doors. "Team NHKS, was it?"

"Yes sir," Naruto said with a grin while his teammates walked down a few steps and slid into a row, leaving the seat on the end for Naruto. They had been tardy all day and after their last class this fact had earned them a talking to from their professor. The team leader scratched the back of his head as he looked at the last professor he'd have to deal with today. "Sorry we're late, we sort of got lost on the road of life."

Sasuke groaned and let his head fall onto the desk in front of him while Kurama let out a single laugh. Haku sighed and pulled out his Scroll to take some notes for the class.

The professor seemed to accept this answer, much to the bewilderment of the other students, since he nodded his head and smiled. "Ah, very problematic that road can be. It takes a well-educated mind and a finely tuned body to traverse it with ease. You may have a seat, Mr. Uzumaki. I'm Professor Port, if you didn't already know."

"Thanks, Prof. P." Naruto gave a two-fingered salute and plopped down in his seat.

Professor Port nodded back and looked around the classroom. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, my story. You see back when I was a young lad..."

Haku nearly jumped when Naruto suddenly slumped over, out cold and letting out soft snores. The feminine boy looked to his two other teammates, who shrugged or smiled in a 'what-can-you-do?' fashion. Realizing that they weren't kidding when it came to Naruto's lack of desire for education, Haku sighed and made an additional note at the top of his page to ensure Naruto got a copy.

Kurama decided to take time to appreciate the notes of the Grimm on the board and tuned the professor out. He did arch a brow when he thought he heard the word cabbages, but ultimately decided to resume his studying of the board's notes on the structure and weak points of a Deathstalker.

Sasuke, like Haku, had his scroll out and was taking down notes. Unlike, Haku, however, he was making notes of his observations on the teacher himself rather than the material that was being discussed.

 _Narcissistic, egotistical, whimsical, boring, and to top it all off he's F-A-!_ Sasuke's thought broke off when the professor cleared his throat and gave a pointed look to Team RWBY, who had unfortunately been stuck in the first row. Sasuke arched a brow and smirked as Professor Port stared the four girls down. _Well, that sucks for them._

"In conclusion, a true Huntsman must be honorable."

Kurama looked out the window as a butterfly passed by before a bird snagged it. He smirked. _The wonders of nature._

"True Huntsmen must be dependable."

Naruto snorted awake and took in his surroundings. _Geez, this guy's still talking? Curse you reality, you once more keep me from which I love right as I'm about to truly experience bliss..._

"True Huntsmen must be strategic, well-educated and wise!"

Sasuke sighed as he let his Scroll rest in front of him and glanced lazily at Professor Port. _Shame you're none of those last three things. I can see you checking out the Fem-Naruto from here-Wait...Did I just call her a...? Oh crap-baskets, he's rubbing off on me!_

"Now, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Prof. Port asked as he looked around the room.

Naruto arched a brow. "What traits?"

Haku offered his scroll and Naruto looked them over.

"Nope, not me." He decided with a chuckle as he rested his head on his arms.

"Offer him some lien, though," Kurama said with a smirk.

"Hey, more lien means more ramen, and I'm _always_ up for more ramen!" Naruto returned with a cheeky grin.

Sasuke shook his head. "There's no one here who truly feels that way about themselves."

"Aside from you?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Even _I'm_ not that full of myself."

"I do, sir!" Weiss' hand shot up.

"I stand corrected, apparently there _is_ someone here who truly feels that way about themselves," Sasuke said in surprise.

"Wow, someone more egotistical than Sasuke. Maybe we were wrong," Naruto said. "Maybe Sneeze is the Fem-Sasuke instead of Bell."

Kurama chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "Man, I wish I had a camera ready. This is going to be good."

Haku sighed and closed his Scroll as a rattling cage slowly rose up from the ground. "I believe there's no more notes to be taken today."

"Aw, man! There's a Grimm!? I would've said something if I'd known there was a Grimm to fight," Naruto said with a pout as Professor Port gestured to the cage and told Weiss to get ready to face the monster. They waited for a few minutes before Weiss returned with her white themed outfit on and rapier in hand.

"Go Weiss!" Yang cheered.

Blake waved a small flag with her team's name on it. "Fight well."

"Yeah! Represent Team RWBY!" Ruby cheered.

Kurama chuckled. "Oh, I want to jeer at Schnee, but that was just adorable."

"Kurama's got a weak spot for cute girls," Naruto said to his partner, who nodded.

"I completely understand." Haku smiled lightly. "Ruby is a cute girl, it's hard not to have a weak spot for her."

"Yeah, if she pouted at him, I'm fairly certain he'd bend to her every whim," Naruto said with a grin.

"I would not!" Kurama snapped with a scowl as he glared at the blond.

Sasuke smirked. "Well, Naruto, it seems that Kurama has decided to indulge in denial."

"Oh, so he's on that boat with you, huh?"

Now both Kurama _and_ Sasuke were glaring at the grinning blond.

"All right, let the match...begin!" Port declared as he used his blunderbuss-axe to remove the lock from the unknown Grimm's cage. The cage door fell down to reveal a shadowy warthog-like creature with the white bone mask connected to two large tusks and plates scattered across its small body. Weiss avoided the initial charge that the Grimm made and even dealt a counter out as she did.

"Hm, not bad," Sasuke said thoughtfully. "Had Borbatusks not been so heavily armored, I'd say that this would already be over."

"Indeed," Haku said as he observed the fight.

Kurama laughed when Weiss' rapier was caught in the Grimm's tusks. "She actually charged at it? Come on, even newbies at Kon knew that Borbatusk's are more armored near the head so that they can handle the impact their attacks make."

Naruto groaned as Weiss was disarmed. "Man, she's really not paying attention to this thing at all, is she?"

"Nope." Haku agreed as he shook his head. This was actually kind of irritating to watch. He sighed when Weiss dodged the Borbatusk's charge and the Grimm bounced off of the desk without any damage done to the wood. "She does remember that she can use her Semblance, right? I would assume that since Professor Port can bring a Borbatusk into the classroom that there would be some sort of safety measures in place for the other students."

"Or there's not and we're just expected to be able to dodge," Naruto said. He leaned back in his seat and rubbed his head. "We are training to become Huntsmen and Huntresses after all."

"True." Haku conceded.

"Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armor underneath it-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss cut Ruby off.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Not cool."

"It seems that Team RWBY has more cracks than one would think," Haku said.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "There was bound to be a clash of all those different personalities. The only reason I get along so well with idiot one and idiot two is because we've known each other since childhood. And you fit in with us because, well, you're nice and polite, something to balance out our leader's brash and rude attitude."

"Screw you, Uchiha." Naruto flipped the dark haired boy off without removing his eyes from the fight. He pursed his lips as the Borbatusk curled into a ball and spun rapidly before it charged at Weiss. "I'd punch it, grab a tusk and bury the head into the ground, then use a bullet to finish it off."

"Restrain and reveal the underbelly, then do the same." Haku nodded.

Kurama dug in his ear with his pinky. "Eh, I'd probably find a way to knock it on it's back and pierce it with Rikudo."

"I would electrocute it." Sasuke shrugged when the three other members of his team looked at him. "What? When it works, it works."

"True." The other three conceded and watched as Weiss made a few figures in the air to reflect the Borbatusk and then jump off of to impale the Grimm with her rapier.

"Bravo!" Professor Port said as a few members of the class applauded. "It seems that we're in the presence of a true Huntress!"

Kurama snorted and flicked the discovery in his ear off to the side. "Yeah, she's a true huntress and I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Careful, Kurama, that's how those sorts of rumors get started." Sasuke warned his partner with a smirk. He stood up as Professor Port dismissed the class.

"Oh, like you can start a rumor, Sasuke." Kurama scoffed. He buffed his nails on his chest and smirked. "You're but a novice in the art of gossip, whereas I am a master. I did manage to get _that_ rumor started after all."

Sasuke and Naruto shuddered while Haku frowned in confusion.

"What rumor?" he asked.

"Nothing!" Sasuke and Naruto cut in quickly before Kurama could answer him. They glared at the grinning Faunus as he slipped by them and walked out of the classroom.

"If you say so..." Haku frowned in confusion while both Naruto and Sasuke sighed in relief.

They certainly dodged that bullet.

* * *

"Hey, Whisker Boy, where've you been all day?" Yang said to her fellow blonde as Team NHKS walked up to herself and Blake while they sat with the boys of Team JNPR. The girls were in the midst of a spar, with Pyrrha offering advice to the energetic Nora after each attack she missed.

"Getting in trouble for having a broken clock and being late to every class today. How's it _Yanging_?" Naruto asked with a grin while Yang laughed and Blake sighed.

"No more puns, please?" Blake asked.

Naruto grinned at her as he took the spot next to Yang. "No promises, Bell."

Sasuke shook his head and sat down next to Ren, while Kurama claimed the seat next to him. "Good luck with that. We've been trying to get him to stop being stupid for years. The most we can manage...Well, Kurama?"

Kurama nodded and reached his jacket to withdraw a rubber chicken. He then tossed the chicken on the ground in front of Naruto. "Naruto. Don't do anything stupid."

Naruto stared at the chicken and looked like he was about to start hyperventilating before he whipped out a paddleball from somewhere. "Must, resist, stupidity impulse!"

"Is that healthy?" Blake asked as she arched a brow while Yang snickered.

"It gets better." Kurama smirked as he threw down a marker and a can of green beans.

Naruto did start to hyperventilate and sweat poured down the side of his face. The paddleball became a blur as Naruto's eyes flickered between the objects he desired to use so badly and the current source of 'entertainment' he had on hand. "Must, resist, stupidity impulse...Must...Resist...Not resisting well!"

"That's not normal." Haku pointed out with a look of concern on his face.

Kurama chuckled. "No, but it is funny. With so many people present, it's harder, but if he was by himself, he'd last longer."

"So he gets off on having an audience?" Yang asked with a lewd grin as she stared at the sweating and trembling whiskered blond. "What's wrong, Naruto? Performance problems?"

"Woman, do not tease me right now!" Naruto grit out as bullets of sweat shot from his head while the paddleball looked like it was about to burst into flame – never mind, there it goes.

Yang grinned and, despite the frantic waving coming from Kurama and Sasuke, leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I can help you with those problems..."

The paddleball snapped off the string and shot into the sky. Naruto tossed the ball-less paddleball away and grabbed his head with an anguished cry. "I can't take it anymore!"

He vanished in a burst of speed that left a large cloud of smoke in his image. Yang waved her hand through it and the smoke scattered in the air. The items at his feet were gone, as if they were never there.

"...Oh, Oum, what have we done?" Kurama mumbled. His skin seemed to pale and his glasses slid down slightly to nearly reveal the top of his eyes. "We _armed_ him!"

Sasuke looked worried. "You don't think he'd actually prank _her_ first, do you?"

"Um...Prank who?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Sasuke's fetish appeal."

"...Screw you, Ōtsutsuki." Sasuke grunted with a punch to the Faunus' arm.

Kurama snickered while Jaune looked worried.

"No, but seriously, who did he want to prank?" he asked again.

"Who did who want to prank?"

The group looked back to find Naruto back in his seat next to Yang, looking like he hadn't just run off like a madman frothing at the mouth. He even had a new paddleball in his hand and seemed to casually play with it while he tilted his head to admire Pyrrha's derriere when she bent over to help Nora back on her feet.

"...Naruto, where did you go?" Haku asked his teammate. He got no response. "Naruto!"

"Hm? Sorry, I was admiring the scenery." Naruto grinned at his partner. "Sup, Haku?"

"Where did you go just now?" Haku asked again.

"Me? I didn't go anywhere. I was just sitting here admiring the scenery and playing with my paddleball." He looked over at Yang and adjusted the way he held the childish toy so that it made a lewd hand gesture. "You know, to prepare myself for those _long_ lonely nights."

Yang snickered despite herself. Blake shoved her slightly and Yang gave her a sheepish grin. "What? It's funny."

"It's disgusting." Blake drawled.

"This coming from the girl with a copy of Ninjas of Love," Naruto said dryly. He ignored the blush that flared up on Blake's face and looked at Sasuke. "Seems Kurama and I were right, Sasuke. She is a female version of you."

Yang looked at her partner with a grin. "So...Ninjas of Love, huh?"

"Shut up." Blake hissed. She glared at Naruto. "How do you know that?"

Naruto glanced over at her with an arched brow. "Know what?"

"That I have a copy of Ninjas of Love."

"You _do_? Wow, that's kinky. Hey, Sasuke, I have good news for you! You got a book buddy! You can start a book club, a _kinky_ book club!"

Yang burst into laughter along with Kurama while Sasuke and Blake flushed bright red. Ren and Haku rubbed their faces with their hands while Juane looked confused.

"What's 'Ninjas of Love'?" he asked.

Naruto looked at his fellow blond with shock and his paddleball stopped. "...Tell me you're joking."

Jaune shook his head.

"...Dear Oum, you poor boy..." Naruto gave his new friend a smile. "Alright, where to begin. Well, it all starts with our hero named Nimato from the village of Pu-Sei. Nimato is on an endless journey to find his one true love."

Jaune smiled. "Aw, that sounds nice. I should get a few copies for my sisters."

"No!" Sasuke and Blake cried out quickly while Yang fell backwards into the bleachers as she laughed.

"Ah, yes, I guess I should be honest if you have sisters. Don't want any visits home to end in a broken Puke Boy, now do we?" Naruto asked. He leaned forward and looked at Juane. "You see, Nimato is a master of the Fa Pin Fist style and has yet to be defeated on the battlefield against any male or female opponent."

Yang, who had never read the series, stopped laughing and sat up. "I'm sorry, what?"

Naruto looked at her with an arched brow. "What? Nimato experimented from time to time."

Yang's eyes widened and she let a small grin cross her face. "...Go on..."

"What are you all talking about?" Pyrrha asked as she walked over to join the group with Nora not far behind her.

Naruto looked up at her, taking a brief moment to admire her figure from _this_ angle, before he grinned. "Oh, Sasuke and Blake just suggested a book for Jaune to read."

"You son of a bi-!" Kurama, who looked far too giddy as he listened to this whole conversation, covered Sasuke's mouth before he could finish that sentence.

"I'll-!" Blake, likewise, was stopped and her mouth was covered by Yang, who looked at Naruto expectantly.

"Don't leave me hanging, Naruto, how many guys did Nimato take on?" she asked.

"Yang, there's only one thing I let hang purposefully, and that's because of genetics." Naruto quipped with a grin.

Yang grinned back at him. "Oh, is that a fact?"

"What's the book you were discussing?" Pyrrha asked, curious and trying to not think about what the two blondes had meant while Nora pestered Ren about his pink cheeks that matched his hair.

"Hm? Oh, something about duality. I dunno I wasn't really paying attention." Naruto admitted as he went back to playing with his paddleball. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his Scroll, which he used to check the time. "Any second now..."

Kurama stopped smiling and released his partner's mouth. "What did you do?"

"I certainly didn't set up an elaborate prank that would take too long to explain with the materials you left so tantalizingly close to me," Naruto said with an innocent blink of his eyes.

"...We are _so_ expelled." Sasuke groaned.

"That's only _if_ I'm caught." Naruto grinned as his team all paled. "And as far as all of you know, I was here the _whole_ time. Which I was."

Yang snickered and let her arm wrap around Naruto's shoulders. "Whisker Boy, I'm starting to think that you and I are going to get along _way_ better than I originally thought."

Haku and Blake shivered. Being the two blondes partners, that meant they were partially responsible for their actions and were required to keep an eye on them.

Jaune opened his mouth to say something when a loud scream came from the other side of Beacon. All eyes went to Naruto, who once more resumed playing with his paddleball.

"...Nora, whatever you do, do _not_ ever make Naruto angry." Ren firmly told his partner and longtime friend.

Nora tilted her head. "I don't know why I would, Ren. I don't want to make anyone angry. I want us all have pancakes!"

"I prefer waffles."

Nora glared at Sasuke, who merely stared back with a brow arched, silently challenging her to do something about it.

"Nora."

"But Ren!"

Ren stared at her.

Nora pouted and glared at Sasuke. "I will break you."

"Better people have tried."

Naruto and Kurama took that as their cue to start whistling innocently.

Haku sighed and looked up at the orange-red sky. "It's getting late and we still have classes tomorrow. I suggest we turn in for the night."

"Good call, partner." Naruto grinned and hopped to his feet, still playing with his paddleball. Haku, Kurama and Sasuke weren't far behind him as he started to walk away. "See you guys tomorrow, tell Ruby and Sneeze we hope they have nice dreams!"

* * *

"Okay, how can you two be so comfortable with this?" Sasuke asked under his breath as Naruto and Kurama started to change into some nightclothes while Haku ducked into the bathroom for a shower.

Naruto looked at his raven-haired friend as he pulled up a pair of running shorts and tossed his clothes in a bin at the other side of the room. "Comfortable with what?"

"She's showering and you two are-are just getting all casually undressed!" Sasuke replied with a frown.

Naruto blinked. "She?"

"Haku, you idiot!"

Naruto looked at Kurama, who gave him a smirk. Naruto seemed to get the idea as he grinned back and looked at Sasuke. " _She_ hasn't complained so far."

"Besides, Ozpin probably wouldn't have assigned _her_ to stay with us if _she_ wasn't all right with it," Kurama said with a smirk. "I spoke with _her_ earlier while you were in the lunch line. _She_ went to a co-ed school and shared showers with guys, so sharing a room with guys wasn't that big of a deal for _her_."

Naruto turned away and bit onto his knuckles to conceal his laughter while Sasuke snapped his head over to Kurama so fast, the Faunus was slightly worried his partner had broken something.

"R-Really?"

Kurama smirked. _Hook, line and sinker. Damn, I'm good_. "Really."

Sasuke's surprised stare turned into a soft smirk that usually made girls back home fawn over his appearance, or as Naruto would put it, cream their panties. He grabbed his towel off the rack outside the bathroom and stripped himself down to his birthday suit. The two other males weren't all that impressed, they had seen their friend naked before in the locker room.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go see if I can make this team really worthwhile," Sasuke said as he slipped into the bathroom.

Kurama waited until the door shut with a soft click before he hopped up from his bed and began to dig around in his dresser. "Camera, where's my camera? This is going to be amazing!"

Naruto, once he'd managed to calm down, looked over at the excited Faunus and scratched his head. "I dunno, Kurama. Maybe this was a little much...I mean, Haku probably won't enjoy Sasuke's attempt to seduce him."

"I'll make it up to him later," Kurama said as he brushed Naruto's worries aside. Both teens looked at the bathroom door as a loud shriek came from the bathroom and was followed by a thud. They heard the shower cut off and a concerned soft voice mutter something they couldn't make out. The two waited silently until Haku burst out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a worried look on his face.

"Guys! Sasuke's fallen and hit his head on the toilet, what do we do!?"

"Get out of my way, I need to get pictures of this!" Kurama rushed past the bewildered Haku while Naruto fell off of his bed and roared with laughter.

Poor Haku could only wonder why they had reacted in such a manner while flashes and clicks of a camera came from the bathroom. In the end, Haku sighed and went to his dresser to dress for the night. His teammates were weird, but he wouldn't trade them for the world.

* * *

 **AN: I wanted to show you guys how Team NHKS would handle their first day...along with a few more Naruto and Yang moments. They're so fun to write. Anyway, tell me your thoughts!**

 **REVIEW!**


	5. History

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **V: History**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since their first day and like Naruto had promised Professor Ozpin, they hadn't been late since. Team NHKS had just left the latest sparring class where an unfortunate Jaune had been embarrassed once again by the school bully, Cardin Winchester. In an effort to cheer Jaune up, Kurama asked to slip away and retrieve something from their room and promised to meet up with the group in the lunchroom.

What he returned with certainly brought joy, but not to Jaune. In fact, the present confused Jaune more than it did lift his spirits. There was only one person who did not enjoy the 'gift' and that was Uchiha Sasuke.

"All. Of. My. Hate." Sasuke glared daggers at his partner all throughout the lunch period. Why?

The 'gift' was a developed photo of the night he realized Haku was a boy.

And to make matters worse...

"Don't worry, Sasuke, I made a copy _just_ for you," Kurama said as he offered the photo to his partner with a grin plastered on his face.

"You know, Whisker Boy, I bet a bunch of girls will pay well for a few of these." Yang looked up from her photo and grinned at her fellow blond as he ate his tenth bowl of Ramen. Her comment didn't make Naruto pause, but he did hurry and finish the bowl with a satisfied sigh.

Naruto looked at Yang with an arched brow. "How much lien do you think its worth?"

"Hm, concerning the posture and the amount of skin shown..." Yang pursed her lips and closed her eyes before she grinned at the blond seated across from her. "Twenty at least."

You could see the lien sign appear in Naruto's eyes.

"Oh, wonderful, now he has a get rich quick scheme," Sasuke said dryly. He glowered at Blake. "Your blonde is a bad influence on ours."

"Says the one that tried to grope his own teammate," Blake said just as dryly. She smirked when Sasuke groaned into his hand.

"So, can I get an estimate of all of our nudes?" The blunt question from Naruto made Ruby, Haku, Pyrrha, Blake and Weiss turn the same shade as Ruby's hood. Jaune was too out of it to really care, Ren and Nora were arguing about a dream Nora had, and both Sasuke and Kurama were far too used to Naruto's blunt personality to be thrown off guard by such a simple question.

Yang tapped her chin. "Well, for Haku, since he's such a popular trap, I'm guessing you could get thirty from some unaware guys and forty from some girls."

"Expensive, aren't you?" Kurama asked the feminine teen with a grin on his face.

Haku sighed and turned to Ren. "Are you sure you don't wish to switch teams?"

"No, I need to keep an eye on Nora." Ren gave his friend a light smirk. He absentmindedly slapped Nora's hands before she could grab the bottle of syrup that was set beside him.

Yang pointed at Kurama next. "You'd probably bring in the least amount of currency, no offense. Maybe ten, fifteen lien if you're lucky."

Kurama shrugged and popped a fry in his mouth. "You're all hideous apes to me. None taken."

"And me?" Naruto asked with a small grin.

Yang leaned forward and grinned back at him. "I don't know, I'd need some fine details before I can give a proper estimate."

Naruto let his eyes become half-lidded as his grin became a bit more lewd. "I'm sure I can get my roommates to sleep somewhere else for a night."

Yang's grin matched Naruto's own as she made similar eyes back at him. "Why would they have to move? _We_ have a spare bathroom."

"Okay, Yang, enough!" Ruby put her proverbial foot down before she passed out from all the blood rushing to her head. She looked between the two blondes and huffed. "If you two are going to flirt, that's fine, but come on, there are other people around us!"

"So?" Naruto and Yang asked with wide grins. "The more the merrier!"

Ruby palmed her face and Weiss gave her partner a pat on the back. "You walked right into that one, Ruby."

"I know..." Ruby whimpered.

"Well...er, Yang and Naruto's jokes aside, we need to do something," Pyrrha said once she had let the blush on her face cool off.

"About what?" Jaune asked as he ate a chicken nugget.

Pyrrha looked at him. "You. And your problem with Cardin."

The teams looked over at a table where Cardin and his crew had gathered around a Faunus girl that had long brown hair and rabbit ears coming out of her head.

Kurama growled and crushed the fry that was in his hand into mush. His aura flared and the mush was eradicated on the spot. Haku placed a hand on his shoulder while he sent Team CRDL a disapproving stare and then looked around in slight disgust.

"What? I-I don't have a problem with Cardin!" Jaune scoffed and played with his food. "He's just, you know, playing around."

"He's being a bully." Ruby corrected her fellow team leader. She clenched her fists as she listened to the boy in question release a loud laugh.

"Name one time he bullied me," Jaune said with a weak grin.

Blake lifted her hand up as she began to list such occasions. "There were the times he knocked books, food or your scroll out of your hands. The times he forced your sheath to expand into a shield and get you caught in doorways."

"And let's not forget the rocket locker." Sasuke added.

"So? It was just a prank. Like Naruto does-" Jaune was cut off as Naruto's smile fell. A heavy feeling of death overcame the table as Naruto glared at Jaune, who trembled under his friend's gaze.

"My pranks are _not_ intentionally cruel nor do they aim to injure anyone." Naruto cut in firmly as he glared at his fellow blond for _daring_ to compare Cardin's bullying antics to his masterpieces of vengeance.

"Ah, p-please l-let go, Cardin! It hurts!" The teams turned to see Cardin tugging on the rabbit ears of the Faunus and Haku slapped his hand on the table.

"That does it. I can't just sit by and let this happen anymore." Haku scowled and made to rise, but was stopped by Naruto's hand. "What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from making a mistake." Naruto nodded towards the lunch monitor, who watched the interaction between CRDL and the Faunus but made no move to break it up. "Cardin's bullying, but not in the terms that obligate any severe punishment from authority, and with the bias towards Faunus, it's an even wider gap that he and others like him can slip through. If you go over there and start a fight, _you'll_ be the one reprimanded."

"That doesn't make sense, it's keeping us from doing what's right," Ruby said with a frown.

"We all know that, Ruby, yet we all choose to do nothing as well for the same reason. Anyone could very well walk out and find a more tolerate teacher, but doing so could risk getting put up against the Winchester name, and that is a loosing battle," Blake said.

Nora slammed her hand into her palm as she gained an idea. "We can break his legs!"

"I wish," Kurama said with a scowl as he flicked his claws out and then forced them to recede in an effort to gain control of his anger. "But like the others said, we'd just get in trouble for it." He looked at Weiss with a pointed frown. "And _you_ just don't care."

Weiss frowned at him. "I'm not fond of some Faunus, true, but I _do_ happen to think what Cardin is doing is unnecessary and cruel."

"Maybe there's hope for you yet, Schnee." Kurama mused half-heartedly. He ignored the glare she sent his way.

"I cannot stand scum like that," Pyrrha said with a scowl as her fists tightened when Russell exclaimed his disbelief at the real ears on the girl's head. "Those who abuse their power to wrong others. It's disgusting!"

"Used to happen all the time back at Kon," Sasuke said solemnly with a frown on his face. "I was part of it."

"Hey, you learned to better yourself." Kurama reassured his partner with a hand on the shoulder. He turned and glared as CRDL burst into more laughter when they knocked the Faunus' lunch out of her hands and kept her trapped between them. "But something tells me that they never will."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Haku hissed.

Naruto grinned as he stood up, a gleam in his eyes. "Who said we were going to? Boys, let's go stop a bully."

* * *

The four boys left the table consisting of Teams RWBY and JNPR while the two teams watched them in interest. Naruto, Haku, Sasuke and Kurama walked up to Team CRDL and the rabbit-eared Faunus girl, careful to not attract attention to themselves as they did. Kurama and Sasuke seemed to know what Naruto had in mind, but Haku, with no clue what the plan was, decided to stand beside his team be silently intimidating as he was taught to.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Naruto asked with a cheerful smile and wave as he stopped next to CRDL's leader.

Cardin looked up at the newcomer and glared at the fox Faunus that grinned maliciously at him. He smirked and looked back at his team while he pushed the Faunus girl into Sky, who kept her in place with a grip on her shoulders. "Oh look boys, we have a few guys walking their _pet_."

Russell, Dove and Sky started to laugh along with their leader at their joke but stopped and stared in shock as Naruto got in Cardin's face with a hostile look in his eyes.

"What?! Wanna say that again? You wanna repeat that, you fuckin' prick? _Huh_? You wanna fucking start something?" Naruto shoved Cardin back into the table and held his arms out while his team backed him up. Cardin's eyes were wide and bewildered as were those of his teammates, possibly due to the fact no one had stood up to them like this before. "Come on, four-on-four, Red versus Blue, no camp kills! We'll fuck you up!"

"J-Just calm down, Uzumaki." Dove tried to placate the irate student as eyes from around the room started to lock onto them.

"Shut the fuck up, Dove!" Naruto glared pointedly at the teen before he returned his attention to Team CRDL as a whole while he gestured to his team. "We're all pumped, we're ready to fucking go! Let's do this!"

Kurama snarled eagerly as his tail swished from one side to the other. To Team CRDL, it looked like something bright red flashed behind his wraparound sunglasses.

"That's right, prison rules! Sasuke hasn't eaten in days!" Naruto continued his crazed intimidation tactics that had drawn attention from all of the students within the lunchroom. He was so into the act that he hadn't realized all conversation had stopped and that a few teachers were even staring in shock at the spectacle.

"I want the one in the _middle_." Sasuke intoned lowly as he stared at Sky intently.

"Me, too." Naruto agreed as his smile widened.

Team CRDL looked over their fellow first year team. The Faunus' grin had widened and his sharp teeth were in plain view. Sasuke continued to stare at Sky and even let his tongue wet his lips like one would when they were hungry just as Sky's eyes met his gaze. Haku just stared intently at them with wide eyes that sucked you in and slowly drove you mad. And finally, Naruto had the crazy gleam still present in his eyes and his smile had the same appearance, throw in the feral appearance his whiskers added and the scary factor was through the roof.

"...Nope!" Russell yelled before he jumped out of the nearest window and ran away.

Dove and Sky weren't that far behind him.

Cardin scrambled back, toppling over the table he'd be relaxing on in an effort to get away from the crazy students. As he ran away, Kurama purposefully made the sound of a whimpering dog loud enough for the whole lunchroom of students present to hear, which resulted in a roar of laughter. It certainly added humiliation to the defeat.

"Yeah that's right, you better fucking run away! You damn bastards! Huh? _Huh_!?" Naruto jeered over the laughter before he grinned and rubbed the underside of his nose with his thumb. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it, Haku?"

"It was rather satisfying to be apart of that solution instead of the problem," Haku said with a smile. He turned and smiled further when he noticed the monitor quickly walking away, as though afraid Team NHKS would try to do something. "Humph, typical. Doesn't even bother to thank us for doing his job."

"Get used to it." Kurama scoffed as he followed Haku's gaze and shook his head before he approached the Faunus that Cardin and his cronies had been bothering. With a gentle smile on his face, Kurama offered his fellow Faunus a hand to help her up. "Are you all right?"

The girl averted her eyes as a small flush crossed her face as she took the offered grip and got back to her feet. "Y-Yes. Th-Thank you."

"It's no problem." Kurama smiled at her and she smiled back.

"So, Kurama, who's your girlfriend?" Sasuke asked with a smirk on his face. The girl flushed dark red and began to stutter incoherently while Kurama scowled in his partner's direction.

Kurama lifted a photo up and arched a brow above the ridge of his glasses. "Try me, Uchiha. I can make sure this thing gets spread _all_ throughout Beacon before we go to history."

"Yeah, come on man, how can you tease someone so cute?" Naruto added with a grin as he hung off Sasuke's shoulders. The Faunus girl flushed a darker red at his question and began to fiddle with her fingers.

Sasuke scowled for a moment before he sighed. "I suppose you're right. She is rather cute, isn't she?"

"Of course she is! Otherwise Kurama wouldn't be acting so nice right now."

"Hey! Watch it, Uzumaki, before I show you how _nice_ I can be!" Kurama warned with a growl as his two friends grinned at him.

Haku shook his head as the three spiraled into an argument and smiled at the girl. "Can you tell me your name, miss?"

"Um, V-Velvet Scarlatina," the girl, Velvet, said softly. "Why do you want to know?"

Haku gave his signature gentle smile as he offered his hand. "So that I may know the name of my new friend."

" _Our_ new friend." Naruto corrected with a grin on his face and his hands interlocked behind his head. Velvet seemed shocked by this while Naruto chuckled. "After all, someone this cute needs to be shared!"

"...Wow, that sounded creepy, Naruto." Kurama drawled with his arms crossed over his chest.

Naruto hung his head. "Realized it as soon as I said it."

"Well, Naruto's unintentional creepy comment aside, we do want to be your friend," Kurama said. He waved at her with his tail and smiled lightly when she giggled. "After all, we Faunus gotta stick together when we're surrounded by these hairless apes."

"Ah, but you love us, Kurama." Haku smiled at his friend.

Kurama looked away slightly. "Don't make it weird, Haku."

Velvet just giggled a bit more as she spoke with Team NHKS, happy that she'd made a few more friends.

* * *

"The more I see it, the less I believe it," Naruto said to Sasuke as they watched their history professor zip from one place to another with a small cup of coffee in hand.

"I'm starting to wonder what would happen if you pranked him through his coffee," Sasuke said. Prof. Bartholomew Oobleck was never seen without a cup of some sort of caffeinated drink in hand, and many wondered if it had replaced his blood.

Naruto nodded. "I considered it, but I think he's an addict. The withdrawal could be agonizing for him. Like that one day we ran out of Ramen in Kon."

Sasuke shuddered. There was a reason neither Sasuke nor Kurama tried to curb or mess with Naruto's addiction. He could still hear the sirens to this day.

"Shush." Pyrrha chastised the two as they listened to their green haired professor.

"Therefore the Faunus Rights Revolution, or more popularly known as the Faunus War, was believed by many to be ignited by humanity's attempts to-to contain the Faunus on Menagerie. And while this may seem like ancient history to many of you, it still has its mark on recent events." Professor Oobleck rapidly explained. He zipped – not ran or walked because his legs never seemed to move – to stand in front of the class with his left hand folded behind his back. "Repercussions can still be seen to this day." He paused and zipped to the side of the room in order to sip from his small cup politely before he returned to the front of the class. "Now! Have any of you been subjugated to discrimination because of your Faunus heritage?"

A few in the class hesitated before Kurama, seated at the front next to the nearly trembling form of Velvet, raised his hand casually. Sasuke grimaced and Naruto gave him a small nudge. Kurama had already forgiven the Uchiha for his past actions, and it was time that Sasuke did so as well. Naruto looked back down as Velvet's hand and a few others around the room slowly or meekly followed their friend's example.

"Dreadful, simply dreadful!" The manner that Oobleck spoke sounded insensitive to those that weren't familiar with the man's eccentrics. It made Naruto smile lightly to see more and more people agree with the professor. He let out an annoyed grunt when Cardin, who was seated behind a sleeping Jaune with his legs on the desk, snorted in amusement. There was a crackle beside him and Naruto had to grab Sasuke's left arm in order to remind his friend that they were in class. Sasuke's hand let the static wear off, but the look in his eyes did not fade away.

"Remember class, it is exactly this kind of ignorance that breeds violence," Oobleck said before he once more took a sip from his cup. Oobleck started to gesture with his pointer. "I mean-I mean-I mean, just look at the White Fang for instance! Can anyone tell me what they know about the organization's history?"

To the surprise of those outside of Kurama and Sasuke, Naruto lifted his hand up.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Uzumaki!" Oobleck nodded as the boy stood to speak.

"The White Fang was formed after the Faunus Rights Revolution to promote unity between Faunus and Humanity. Despite most discriminations still holding firm in place, many of their peaceful public displays or marches were very effective." Naruto frowned as he continued. "However, around the time that the Fourth War, the Anti-Faunus Terrorist Organization, came to be, more and more humans pinned the blame on the attacks of the Fourth War on the Faunus. Consequential riots and the rumors of the Schnee company slavery incidents were enough to turn the White Fang into a bastardization of what it once was."

Blake, Weiss and Pyrrha were shocked at the passion that came from Naruto's mouth as he expressed disappointment with the turn of the White Fang. Professor Oobleck, however, nodded his head.

"Precisely, precisely! 'Violence begets violence, an unfortunate truth for our world, and without true understanding, there can be no peace,' as Ri Kudo Sage, the infamous visionary during The War, said. Thank you, Mr. Uzumaki, you may be seated."

Naruto sat down and gave a cheesy grin as well as a victory sign to the surprised people that stared at him.

Sasuke smirked and shook his head in amusement. Naruto may not understand technical use of theories or mathematics in the real world, but politics, tactics and history was something he had a knack for. If he wasn't so determined to be a Huntsman, Sasuke was sure that his team's leader could run for placement on one of the four Kingdoms' councils. Ah, Hell, he was going to suggest that the blond do so later in life anyway.

"But back to the matter at hand, which of you young scholars can tell me what battle is believed by theorists to be the turning point of the Faunus Rights Revolution and when it occurred during the war?" Oobleck asked. He looked over the class and nodded. "Ms. Schnee?"

"The Battle at Fort Castle, which took place in the third year," Weiss said with a confidant smile.

"Very good, very good!" Oobleck nodded from where he stood behind his desk. "And! Who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagoon's forces?"

Sasuke looked to the left as Cardin snickered and prepared a paper football to flick at the back of Jaune's head. His eyes narrowed and he waited for the right moment to send a small bolt of static at the paper in an effort to both crumple it and knock it off path. Cardin frowned and let out an annoyed grunt, which drew Oobleck's attention.

"Yes, Mr. Winchester?"

Cardin looked up and crossed his arms as a smile crossed his face. "I don't know about you, but I personally think it's because animals are easier to train than soldiers."

"Coming from the epitome of dumb apes, I'm not surprised you think that way. I wonder how long it took for your mommy to potty train you." Kurama quipped with a smirk on his face while the class let out snickers.

"Mr. Ōtsutsuki, please wait to be called on before you speak out of turn or I'll be forced to offer you detention. Mr. Winchester, your answer is not only incorrect but highly offensive and very ignorant. For this, I will ask for a three-paged essay on the contents of the Faunus Rights Act, with explicit details on each right granted to Faunus in the Four Kingdoms due on my desk next week," Professor Oobleck said as he chastised both students fairly in terms of their offense.

Cardin scowled heavily while Kurama gave a nod to the professor.

"Now, can anyone tell me the correct answer to the question?" Professor Oobleck asked before he took another sip of his coffee. He nodded as Pyrrha's hand rose. "Yes, Ms. Nikos?"

"It's because most Faunus have exceptional night vision. General Lagoon tried to ambush the Faunus in the night and was consequently outmaneuvered and captured for his mistake." Pyrrha explained. She sent a look at Cardin for a moment before she looked back at the front. "If he had actually taken time to think of a better strategy than the easiest one that came to mind, perhaps he could've emerged victorious.

"Or perhaps if he paid attention in class, like a certain few who shan't be named, he wouldn't have been turned into the butt of every Faunus' joke," Blake said dryly. The students snickered once again as the obvious jab to a certain mace user.

"You want to start something, Belladonna?" Cardin asked as he started to rise.

"Mr. Winchester, get back in your seat before I make that essay _ten_ pages long and due _tomorrow_ , and Ms. Belladonna, I will give you the same warning that I gave Mr. Ōtsutsuki, wait to be called on before you speak or I _will_ give you a detention for disrupting my class," Oobleck said with a frown. He zipped to the front of the of the class and slapped his pointer stick next to Jaune, who snapped awake with a startled cry. "Mr. Arc, since you've decided to finally rejoin us in the world of the living and conscious, I would like to know what _you_ think about the Faunus War?"

"Um...It was a boon to the Faunus and I'm glad it happened?" Jaune weakly answered.

"Oh, and why is that?" Oobleck asked with an arched brow.

"W-Well, if the Faunus never stood up for their rights then they would've been trapped on Mallory-"

"Menagerie."

"Right, that. And I never would've met some of my friends. Heck, I probably wouldn't even have the thought of calling them my friends." Jaune's answer drew smiles on his friends' faces while Professor Oobleck withdrew his pointer stick and nodded.

"A good answer, Mr. Arc, but I will still require you and Mr. Winchester to stay after class for a moment." The disheveled professor took a sip of his coffee and zipped to his desk just before the bell rang. "You're all dismissed, save for you two."

Jaune groaned and let his head fall to the desk while Cardin scoffed and cross his arms.

* * *

"...then I thought about using some rope to–"

"Wait up, Uzumaki!"

Naruto, Sasuke, Kurama and Velvet were walking down the hall towards Haku's history classroom. The feminine boy had placed above average in the class and had been moved a grade forward, which was more or less a boon for his team. Haku's kind attitude made it all but impossible for the boy to say no to helping his friends study for one of their, in his words, easier tests. The three members of NHKS and Velvet stopped and turned back around to see Weiss and Blake running after them.

"Hey Sneeze! Bell! Just on our way to meet up with Haku, what's up?" Naruto grinned at the girls while Sasuke stared indifferently and Kurama let out a small growl of annoyance.

Weiss scowled at the blond and crossed her arms over her chest. "For the last time, it's _Schnee_ , Uzumaki."

"And I told you to call me Naruto, _Sneeze_." Naruto returned with a grin while Kurama smirked and Velvet let out a soft giggle.

Weiss growled, but quickly shook her head. "Whatever, I'll deal with that later. What was all of that back in the classroom?"

"Uh, that was history with Professor Oobleck," Naruto said as he gained a worried look as he placed a hand on her head. "Are you alright? I mean, didn't you answer one of his questions?"

"Very funny." Weiss drawled through gritted teeth while she batted his hand away. She glared at the snickering Kurama. "And what's so funny, Ōtsutsuki?"

"Your face." Kurama chuckled as Weiss looked to be seconds from a meltdown. Velvet frowned at her new friend.

"T-That wasn't very nice, Kurama," Velvet said softly.

Kurama crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head to face the timid girl. "Vel, trust me. This is a _Schnee_. She's used to this sort of thing."

"What we mean to ask is, how did you know so much about the White Fang, Naruto?" Blake quickly spoke up before her teammate tried to fight the fox Faunus...again.

Naruto's smile fell into a frown. "It's hard not to know about the White Fang when you come from a village that used to welcome them."

"Used to?" Blake and Weiss asked.

Sasuke nodded. "We – Naruto, Kurama and I – are from the City of Kon in Vacuo, it's a pretty popular town on the edge of the dessert and the mountain regions. It's also where a majority of the old White Fang organization had started, so a lot of Faunus used to live there with Humans."

"The Faunus were treated well...until an attack that happened almost eighteen years ago," Naruto said softly. He had his eyes down as he started to fiddle with the rings on his necklace. "After that, many in Kon blamed the Faunus for the attack and a few were chased out of town."

"My family lived on neutral ground and my father ran a shop that provided a lot of Dust to the area." Kurama added. He had his arms crossed and his hands clenched into fists. "We barely managed to survive thanks to the few humans that remembered their bonds with him."

Sasuke put his hand on Kurama's shoulder and looked at the two stunned girls. "But that's the past, and we've come to terms with it."

Naruto let his necklace drop from his hands and a smile spread across his face. "Yeah, gotta keep moving forward!"

"Besides," Kurama said as he relaxed and a small smirk crossed his face. "We all made a promise before we arrived at Beacon. Once we became Huntsman we would find the Fourth War and bring them down."

Naruto nodded in agreement while Sasuke gained a small smirk at Kurama's words.

"...That's all we needed to know," Blake said before she grabbed Weiss' arm and dragged her along. "Come on, let's go find Ruby and Yang before they do something stupid."

"Wait – Will you unhand me?! Blake!" Weiss argued and struggled as she was pulled away.

Naruto watched them disappear around a corner and scratched the back of his head. "Think we laid it on a little thick?"

"We were just being honest – Velvet, are you crying?" Kurama asked as he looked at the rabbit-eared Faunus. Her eyes were red and brimmed with tears while her bottom lip trembled. Suddenly, she pulled Kurama into a tight hug that caught the fox Faunus off guard.

"Whoa! Hey, Velvet! D-Don't cry!" Kurama paled as the girl sobbed into his shoulder. He turned to his friends. "Guys? Help!"

Sasuke crossed his arms and shook his head. "Shame on you, Kurama. Making such a cute girl cry."

Naruto copied the raven-haired boy's actions. "For shame."

"Screw you guys! Velvet, come on, it's okay!" Kurama tried to console her weakly. He'd never had to do this before. Girls were not his forte, even if he did flirt around occasionally.

"Shame, Kurama Ōtsutsuki, for shame." Naruto and Sasuke repeated as they walked down the hall.

"O-Oi! Don't leave me here! You bastards!"

* * *

"What happened to your shirt?" Haku asked as a slightly drenched Kurama and a red-eyed Velvet joined him, Sasuke and Naruto. With them were three other second year students. Only one was girl with a beret atop her shoulder length brown hair and her eyes hidden by sunglasses, dressed in Beacon's standard academy uniform like Velvet. Slightly behind her were two boys, one with dark skin, white eyes and messy copper hair and the other was, too be blunt, a _giant_ with short dark hair and a friendly face. Both boys wore the traditional uniform that Team NHKS rebelled against, save for Haku.

Velvet flushed bright red and Kurama glared at the amused Naruto and Sasuke.

"I hate you both. So much." He growled as his tail flicked angrily.

"Well, well, well, Velvet...I never thought you'd be so interested in younger boys," the girl said with a smirk as she walked over towards the Faunus. She gave Kurama a once over before she pulled Velvet into a hug. "I'm so proud of you, he's succulent!"

"N-No, C-Coco, it's not like that!" Velvet protested as her face darkened even further.

"I'm _sure_ it's not." Coco nodded with a smirk on her face as she lowered her sunglasses and leered at the other members of Team NHKS with a saucy grin on her face. "I'm glad you were only with _one_ of these gold metals, because if you were keeping all _four_ to yourself, I would be _so_ mad at you. Fox can only handle so much, after all."

The copper haired teen let out a soft sigh while the giant chuckled. Coco looked over at Naruto and gave him a smile.

"Like I was saying, I'm Coco Adel." She pointed at the giant. "That handsome beefcake is Yatsuhashi Daichi." Her finger landed on the copper haired teen. "That fine piece of ass is Fox Alistair and you already know our lovely little rabbit, Velvet." She grinned and tightened her hug around the flushed Faunus. "Together we're Team CFVY (Coffee), second year badass Hunters of Beacon."

"Nice to meet you, Coco." Naruto grinned as Kurama slipped over to Sasuke's other side and Haku stepped beside the blond leader. "You already know my partner Haku Yuki. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Velvet's boyfriend is Kurama Ōtsutsuki" "Hey!" "and his partner Uchiha Sasuke. We're Team NHKS."

"An all boy group filled with one of each kind," Coco said with a smile and a giddy sigh. She pointed at Sasuke. "The sexy dark one." Her finger drifted to Kurama. "Velvet's peace of man-meat is the handsome mysterious and wild one." Coco ignored Velvet's squeak as she pointed at Haku. "Our princely quiet one is my studious classmate." Coco's gaze landed on the younger leader and she approached him with a smirk on her face. "And finally, the roguishly cute leader."

Naruto's smile fell into a pout. "Oi! I'm not cute!"

Coco laughed and pinched his cheek as she cooed at him. "Yes you are! Such a _cute_ little Huntsman in training."

Kurama smirked. _Ah, karma. How I love you._

Naruto batted away the older girl's hand and scowled as he rubbed his sore whiskered cheek. Coco pinched _hard_. "Geez, if this is what Ruby feels like when Yang teases her, maybe I should cut her some slack."

"By Oum, I didn't think it was possible. Someone can _curb_ him." Sasuke mumbled in shock.

Haku shook his head. He'd known Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi only in passing during class, but when Coco had said something afterwards about a few boys that had stood up for their Faunus teammate, he spoke to her afterwards and introduced himself, asking if their friend was Velvet. From there on, Coco had poised herself as a playful teenage girl, not unlike Yang, but more mature and sure of herself. He figured that the introduction between Coco and Naruto would be healthy for his laidback and childish partner.

Haku wasn't expecting her to all but adopt Naruto as her 'cute little brother.' That didn't mean Haku wasn't welcoming it. He was chuckling alongside Sasuke and Kurama as their leader, who was brimming with confidence and always flirty with the opposite sex, suddenly became a slightly unnerved boy and struggled to get away from the older girl.

"Oh, but you're everything I ever wanted in a little brother." Coco pleaded as she rubbed her cheek against Naruto's. "Cute, sassy and a troublemaker!" She tightened her hug and looked at her teammates. "Fox? Yatsuhashi? Can we keep him?"

"Oi! Let me go!"

Fox shook his head with a smirk on his face while Yatsuhashi chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well..." the gentle voice of the giant teen left his throat with a small rumble. "As long as you promise to take care of him."

Coco smiled happily and tightened her impressive grip on Naruto, causing his face to go blue. "I promise!"

"I take back any negative thoughts I had about today." Kurama chuckled out with a smile as he watched his friend try to escape Coco's grasp. "This is the best day of my life thus far, hands down."

"Agreed." Sasuke nodded.

Haku smiled. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Gah! Let me go, you crazy lady! Guys!? As your leader I order you to help me!"

"No, Naruto! Stay with sister Coco!"

"Haku!? Help!"

"Best. Day. Ever." Kurama reiterated.

* * *

 **AN: And so Team NHKS has met Team CFVY. Thanks for reading!**

 **REVIEW!**


	6. Art of Breaking Legs

**EDITED 9/23/15**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **VI: The Art of Breaking Legs**

* * *

Naruto stood beside his team's bedroom door with his ear pressed against it while the rest of his team prepared for the following morning. They were being taken on a 'field trip' of sorts with teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL. It had been a week since NHKS had scared CRDL away from the lunchroom and befriended the older Team CFVY, but during recent nights, Naruto had noticed that Jaune, for some reason, was returning later and later with every day that passed.

"Anything yet?" Kurama asked as he cleaned the barrel of Rikudo's rifle mode. All of the new teams were aware of JNPR's leader's bizarre new habit and all were worried, aside from the members of CRDL, which made all of Naruto's team suspicious. With the thanks of skilled subterfuge and vast connections, Kurama had been able to gander a few guesses as to what was going on with 'PJ'.

"No, not yet." Naruto frowned. He looked over at Haku. "Do it."

Haku nodded and sat on his bed with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. Haku lifted his hands up and formed a rectangle with his thumbs and index fingers. It was a theorized ability suggested by Sasuke when Haku revealed more details about his 'mirrors'. In essence, Haku would make a smaller mirror, which he dubbed a 'looking glass' that was invisible to the naked eye and allowed him to see areas he had been to before. The three members of the team had been practicing it without Naruto to keep an eye on him when he was obviously pranking someone.

Naruto soon caught on and, with news of this ability, decided to put it to good use when rumors of Cardin and Jaune hanging out started to spread through the First Year circle. While Kurama argued he could determine whether or not Jaune and Cardin were together, Naruto pointed out that Kurama couldn't 'see' what they were doing. Kurama's Sensory was impressive, but it could not determine what someone was doing, just where they were.

Haku's eyes snapped open, though they looked like they were focused on something distant and far away. "...It's as we feared, Jaune is with Cardin and his team."

"Can you see what they're doing?" Sasuke asked as he sharpened his sword, Amaterasu, with a block of special Dust-laced clay.

Haku narrowed his eyes. "Jaune seems to be...writing...Cardin and Russell are laughing, Dove is meditating and Sky...just spilled something on the parchment Jaune was writing on."

"What a bunch of jerks." Kurama growled as he slapped a clip of ammunition into Rikudo. "Something needs to put them out of our misery."

"It's not that simple, Kurama. You know that," Naruto said with a sigh. The world was full of red tape and thin lines that made the black and white hard to see. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "Dammit, if only we knew what they had on him to force him to do this..."

"It's either something embarrassing about his family or something he did that he doesn't want anyone to know about," Sasuke said as he lifted his sword and examined the edge of the blade.

"Possibly the latter," Kurama said with a sigh as he set Rikudo down on the ground beside his bed and relaxed. "Well, we could always 'go missing' tomorrow and prompt Goodwitch to call for a search party. Ambush them..."

"We're not killing anyone, Kurama." Naruto deadpanned.

"I never said kill." Kurama smirked lightly as he rolled his hand in the air. "I said ambush, if something happens after that, well, it's out of our hands, isn't it?"

"The last time you tried that they somehow survived," Sasuke said pointedly.

Kurama smirked darkly as he clenched his fist in the air. "Yes, but this time... I won't leave them with any aura."

"We're. Not. Killing. Them." Naruto glared at the fox Faunus.

"Alright, alright, fine...but we can't let them go on like this. They could get hundreds of people killed down the line if they continue to act like-"

"The Fourth War. I know." Naruto cut Kurama off. "We're just students, though, Kurama. It's Ozpin and the rest of the faculty we need to convince that they're not fit to be Hunters. They can put a stop to CRDL's rise before it even begins."

"We could do that..." Kurama mumbled.

"Kurama..." Naruto warned.

"I know! I know! Geez, I'm just saying."

"Jaune just left their room." Haku closed his hands and waited for a moment before he lifted them again. "He's on his way down the hall."

"Thanks Haku, you can break the glass," Naruto said with a smile before he pressed his ear against the door and closed his eyes. Team NHKS went quiet as the leader of the four listened through the door. Naruto opened his eyes when he heard floorboards creek softly by and grabbed the handle, but stopped when he heard something else.

"What are you-?"

"Shh!" Naruto cut Sasuke off as he faintly heard the other members of Team JNPR talking. Jaune must have been trying to sneak in again, but found that his team was still awake. There was another soft creak that Naruto arched a brow to followed by soft footsteps that were next door. Naruto waited for another few minutes before he smiled lightly and released the door handle.

"What are you doing? What about the plan?" Sasuke asked as Naruto walked back to his bed.

"Plans change, Sasuke." Naruto simply replied as he climbed into bed and turned off his light. His teammates seemed to follow his example and turned their lights off as they prepared for bed. As he closed his eyes and prepared to reimburse himself in the world of Ramen-Land, Naruto had one final thought.

 _You're a good friend, Ruby_.

* * *

"Man, and I thought there were a lot of bloody trees back home," Kurama said under his breath as he, Haku and Sasuke followed their team's leader through the red leafed forest of Forever Fall. Naruto had decided to walk with Jaune behind Team CRDL, who were all very unimpressed with the area, while the awed Teams RWBY and JNPR followed Professor Goodwitch ahead of them.

"Yes, the forests of Forever Fall are indeed beautiful, Mr. Ōtsutsuki," Professor Goodwitch said, her words showing that she had misheard the Faunus. "But we are not here to embrace nature's beauty. Professor Peach has requested that all of you take samples from the trees deep inside this forest and I am here to ensure that none of you die in the process."

Professor Goodwitch stopped walking and turned to face the students behind her, her eyes washing over them intently. Naruto grabbed Jaune's shoulder to keep him from walking into Cardin, who hung at the back of his Team unlike the leaders of RWBY and NHKS. Jaune sent Naruto a weak thankful smile that Naruto returned before they looked ahead as the professor continued with her instructions.

"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap, however be aware that there _are_ creatures of Grimm in this forest. If you wish not to die, I would strongly recommend you stick with your teammates," she said. Professor Goodwitch adjusted her glasses and let her hands fall behind her back. "We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Have fun!"

"...Is she bipolar?" Sasuke asked his partner quietly. Kurama shrugged and took a jar from Jaune when he started to hand the supplies out.

Once all the supplies were dealt out and Professor Goodwitch walked off to answer a question that Blake had, Cardin clapped a hand on Jaune's shoulder with a grin on his face. "C'mon, buddy, let's go."

Jaune looked to his team, who started to walk in a different direction than Team CRDL, and his eyes locked with Pyrrha's. Just as Jaune broke the gaze they held and prepared to go with the other four, another hand grabbed Cardin's armored wrist.

"I believe Professor Goodwitch said for us to join our teammates." Haku's eyes were intense as he looked into the taller boy's. His hand slowly clenched until the armor bound around Cardin's wrist started to groan in protest, which greatly alarmed the wearer of the metal. "You are _not_ Jaune's teammates."

"Y-Yeah, but-but Jaune's offered to help my team," Cardin said quickly.

"When?" Haku asked firmly, his slowly tightening grip not stopping in the slightest.

"Before we got on the Bullhead," Jaune said softly, resigned as he put a hand on Haku's shoulder. He gave the boy a weak smile. "It's fine, Haku, really. The others...they said it was okay."

It was a horrible lie and everyone knew it. Haku stared at Jaune for a moment before he sighed and released Cardin's wrist. "Very well, Jaune, but if you need any help..."

"We'll be right there." Naruto finished from where he stood with his arms around Dove and Sky's shoulders and his head down. Both teens were sweating bullets as the crazed whiskered blond grinned at their team leader. Kurama and Sasuke, likewise, had their arms around Russell, who was nearly hyperventilating as Kurama grinned at him and his concealed eyes flashed red once more.

Cardin quickly backed away from the other all-male team and swallowed. "C-C'mon, Jauney-boy. Time's a wastin'!"

The rest of Team CRDL was quick to follow their leader's example and disappeared into the forest in a forced calm walk with Jaune not too far behind them. Naruto waited until they'd disappeared beyond a tree before he looked at Haku.

"Go. Kurama, Sasuke, follow from the leaves and keep me informed." Naruto's orders were soft, but heard all the same as Haku closed his eyes and backed into a mirror that formed behind him. He vanished from view just as Kurama and Sasuke disappeared into the trees. Naruto crossed his arms and stood in the clearing with his eyes closed before he looked to his left at the sounds of leaves crunching under feet.

"Professor." He greeted with a nod.

The silver-haired headmaster nodded back and let his right arm rest behind him while the left kept a grip on his cane. He had snuck onto the Bullhead with relative ease after the student before him had visited him in the early hours of the morning prior to the departure. With a few offered testimonies and the many concerns of blackmailing brought forward, he'd decided to humor the young man and see if there really was any problem. Bullying was not that unusual for a school, but he had been getting reports of intense instances from a few other teachers, Port and Oobleck to be precise. They normally didn't question his decisions, and to have them do so was how Ozpin had felt something was off.

"Mr. Uzumaki. Are you sure this is necessary?"

Naruto kept his jaw square and looked up at the headmaster with a cold stare. "Professor, if you let CRDL continue to be students at Beacon, not only will it worsen the students' relations with one because of their blatant racism, but if they somehow, Oum-forbid, managed to _graduate_ , your school _will_ be blamed after the first mission where they allowed innocents to die just so they could survive."

Professor Ozpin pursed his lips and his jaw twitched before he sighed. "I was afraid of this. Thank you for asking me before you did something. I've heard rumors of Kon Academy's final year lessons and I was afraid that you would act...in a poorly devised manner."

"'The goal of every graduated student at Kon Academy is to protect the citizens of Remnant from Grimm, Terrorists or even other Hunters if necessary.'" Naruto quietly recited from memory as he looked off towards where Team CRDL had gone. He looked back at the headmaster with a stern glare. "I'm not the smartest guy in the world and I'm pretty sure I'm not the strongest, but I can read a person. I can tell what drives most people. Team CRDL is in this for the fame, riches and glory."

"...If we do stop them and they can be rehabilitated, what then?" Ozpin asked.

Naruto kept his gaze on the headmasters'. "If you let _any_ of those four become a Hunter of Remnant, the people that they let die – and people _will_ die – will be on your head."

Professor Ozpin sighed for a moment before he smiled at the young man before him. "You are certainly your parents' son, Mr. Uzumaki. If they were still with us, they would be very proud of you."

Naruto's serious look and frown vanished as he gained a small smile and looked up at the cloudless sky. "I certainly hope so."

* * *

The peaceful quiet between headmaster and first year student was broken when Haku stepped back into the clearing with a frown on his face.

"What did you find out?" Naruto asked.

"Cardin's goal is revenge," Haku said as his hands clenched hard until his knuckles turned white. "He tried to get Jaune to release a swarm of rapier wasps on Pyrrha and Blake and has mentioned that he's still trying to figure out something for us."

"You said _tried_ , Mr. Yuki?" Ozpin arched a brow. "Please explain."

"Jaune refused to conform to Cardin's plan. Cardin didn't take it well. He began to beat Jaune, and the others soon joined in." Haku answered as he glared at nothing in particular. His hands had balled into white-kunckled fists and he turned to Naruto. "I'm with Kurama. We should stop this now.

Ozpin hummed. "And why don't you?"

"I was not taught in Kon Academy, but in one of the sister schools of Vacuo." Haku answered as he looked back at the headmaster. "We do not act without our team leader's permission or word unless our lives or the lives of others are at risk...It is a lesson that is taught during the...final year."

"We'll be revisiting that bit of information later." Naruto crossed his arms and looked at the headmaster. "What's your say, Prof. O?"

"I wish I had a cup of Atlas coffee, right now." Ozpin sighed and looked up at the sky. "Things are much easier to decide when one is fully caffeinated and awake. However, I've just discovered that one of my teams is abusing another student and plans to harm others." He brought his free hand up to rub his eyes. "If I had a bunch of hard evidence before me gathered by a concerned teacher, my authority over the subject would be absolute, but alas, I do not. I can not act on mere hearsay and testimonies with any assurance that they will be removed from the program."

Haku scowled and made to speak, only for his partner to stop him. Haku gave Naruto a confused look and was shocked to see a grin on the whiskered teen's face.

"What can you do?" Naruto asked with a fake sigh as his smile grew. "It's not like a blackmailer can be threatened."

"No...indeed it is not. For anyone to know that I, Professor Ozpin, allowed one Jaune Arc to come to my prestigious academy despite the fact his application and transcripts were falsified, could bring about my end." Ozpin sighed dramatically. "If only I had a way to ensure that the information never became public, but to do so would possibly involve crude and inhumane tactics brought upon the would-be blackmailer."

Naruto's grin widened. "Professor Ozpin, I believe that your problem will soon rectify itself...and besides, Jaune Arc has proven to _not_ be clever enough to trick you, so there must be a reason that the Great and Wonderful Ozpin allowed such a student to attend his Academy."

"If I had ever to answer that question, I would say that politics had swayed me when I informed the parents and a certain _influential_ member of the Arc family." Ozpin pressed his hand against his forehead and began to woefully walk away. "Woe is me, for I am without a _clear_ answer to my problem. If _only_ there were a _few_ generous students that could possibly heal any _bruises_ and _quiet_ the problem for me _without_ any _permanently_ hurt feelings."

Naruto looked at Haku as Ozpin disappeared back towards the Bullhead and nodded. "Now we can go deal with them."

"...What was that?" Haku asked in mild surprise.

"That was our unofficial permission to, as Nora so elegantly put it, break Team CRDL's legs." Naruto answered as he walked off towards the area CRDL had went to.

Haku followed after him. "I don't understand. Professor Ozpin was putting on a show, but...why?"

"He can't outright _say_ that he wants us to ensure that Team CRDL doesn't try to blackmail anyone again." Naruto explained to his partner. He grinned. "One has to learn how to look underneath the underneath if they wish to find the truth."

Haku frowned. "My academy never had those lessons."

"It was a recent development in Kon Academy after the terrorist attack," Naruto said softly.

Haku nodded. "I see...so, what exactly did Professor Ozpin say?"

Naruto held his hand up and began to list off the subjects Ozpin's speech covered. "One: He can't do anything to CRDL officially without a _written_ proof of evidence from a teacher, so we can't get them kicked until we get some dirt on them. Two: Ozpin _knew_ that Jaune faked his transcripts and even informed his parents and possibly someone with more influence in the Arc family, so even _if_ Jaune's secret gets let out, Ozpin has a plan to deal with any backlash on himself, his school or even the Arcs. And finally, Ozpin gave us the go ahead to stop Cardin and his cronies as long as we don't permanently injure them."

"...Did he really say all of that?" Haku asked with a frown. Naruto nodded and Haku furrowed his brow. "But what about Professor Goodwitch?"

Naruto chuckled. "Why do you think she's really here? Our talents as Hunters are being honed, not taught for the first time. We've all proven that we have the skills to take care of ourselves and each other. Didn't you notice how odd it was that she showed up this morning instead of Professor Peach? Her presence meant that Ozpin took our words seriously and she'll make sure that Teams JNPR and RWBY don't try to get in our way or worse, try to help."

Haku frowned. "Why is that worse?"

"Three teams ganged up on another? We'd be no better than Team CRDL and our case would be in the trash sooner than you can say burnt ramen." Naruto lifted a finger and smiled. "But two all-male teams suddenly got into a fight? Boys will be boys, I suppose."

Haku nodded and sent a small smile to his partner. "You've got a very tactical and underhanded mind in there, Naruto."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Haku." Naruto smirked as he lowered his hand and quickened his walk. "Tell Sasuke and Kurama that I want Team CRDL separated from the others."

Haku nodded and made a mirror in front of him that he stepped into while Naruto followed the small trail that Sasuke made with his sword.

* * *

Cardin burst through the forest into the next clearing and doubled over to catch his breath. He stood up and glared at his team. "Wow, guys, _thanks_ for sticking around! If Jauney-boy hadn't managed to distract that Grimm for me, I'd be dead right now!"

Russell pointed at him as he stood up from where he leaned against a tree. "You saw that thing! That Ursa was freaking enormous!"

"All of those spikes..." Dove shuddered and rubbed his arms.

Sky Lark looked at Cardin with an arched brow. "So, Cardin, with that plan gone to shreds, how do you plan to get back at Uzumaki and his team?"

"I'm still thinking about it, alright?" The tall boy rubbed his ruined gauntlet with his other hand and scowled. "But I do know that I'm going to make that Haku freak wish he hadn't wrecked my armor. This stuff cost me an entire month's allowance to be made!"

"I do apologize." The sudden words made the four boys freeze and dart their eyes over to the side as Haku stepped out of one of his 'mirrors' to their left. Haku had a pleasant smile on his face as he held Snowfall in gun form towards them. "I must request that you don't try to run."

"Or else what? You going to shoot us with that puny thing?" Sky Lark asked with a sneer as he and his teammates drew their weapons. He twirled his collapsed halberd in his hand and smirked at the feminine boy. "You know, I always wanted to find out if you were actually a chick despite your words."

"We can find out right now," Russell said with a grin as he lifted up his daggers. "If not, well, then you're just a cross-dressing freak!"

"That's just sick," Dove said with a grimace while he aimed his short sword at Haku. "Almost as disgusting as sharing a room with a Faunus."

Cardin and the others chuckled at Dove's burn. "Nice one!"

Their smiles fell as slow clapping came from behind them. Team CRDL turned and faced Kurama as he stepped out from behind a tree.

"A-ha-ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho-ho, he-he-he..." Kurama's grin widened as his unnerving and sarcastic chuckle put the four bullies on edge. "What's wrong, Dove? No more jokes?" He tisked in disappointment as he pulled his staff Rikudo forward from where it rested in his arms. Kurama tightened his grip and the blades that dangled from the rings aligned at the top to make the spear mode. "That's a shame, and here I thought you were the comedy group. You're _always_ making such _witty_ and _clever_ jokes about us Faunus."

"Y-You stay back!" Russell warned as Kurama stopped on the edge of the clearing opposite Haku. He remembered passing out in the forest and it was _not_ an experience he wanted to go through again.

"There's just two of them, Russell, relax!" Cardin chided his partner with a scowl before he smirked at Kurama and tightened his grip on his mace. "I've been waiting to knock that smile off of your face since we first met. Then once we're done with you two, we're going to find that pretty boy partner of yours and kick his ass, too!"

"I assume then that you would mean me?"

Cardin's smirk fell and color drained from his teammates' faces as they turned to Sasuke, who stood on the edge of the clearing directly between Haku and Kurama. His weapon was in its sword form and what looked like black lightning arced around his hands and up the blade.

"Threatening to beat up two of my teammates, that's dumb," Sasuke said slowly as he held Amaterasu in front of him. He smirked at the four. "However, it's far from the worst mistake you made today."

None of the members of Team CRDL could speak before the space opposite Sasuke was occupied as the team leader of Team NHKS stepped from the forest while he cracked his knuckles.

Naruto grinned at the four teens and began to loosen his joints. "You see, Cardin, your biggest mistake was thinking that you could get away with not only blackmailing _one_ of our friends, but trying to _hurt_ or possibly _kill_ the others."

Cardin's eyes widened and his team backed into each other, each looking at different members of Team NHKS. Kurama's eyes glowed brightly behind his sunglasses as he met the gaze of a shuddering Russell Thrush. Sasuke smirked and lifted his now crackling Amaterasu towards the terrified Dove Bronzewing. Haku had dropped his smile and stared intently at Sky Lark while Snowfall shifted into its whip form.

"Now..." Naruto directed his attention to Cardin and the whiskered blond punched his fists together to make his Storm Breakers unfold around his hands. "I believe I told you that we'll fuck you up."

"And believe me, we will." Kurama grinned as he held his hand out towards them. Russell's eyes became the size of dinner plates and the Faunus' grin widened. His predator instincts were starting to kick in and he awaited eagerly to be released from his leash.

"But first, we have to make one thing clear," Sasuke said as the sky started to darken overhead and Dove's arms began to shake as they weakly held his sword up.

"You _will_ leave Jaune Arc, the rest of Team JNPR, Team RWBY and _any_ Faunus on campus _alone_." Haku cracked Snowfall and took a single step forward, which made Sky Lark swallow and lift his halberd.

"O-Or else what?" Cardin either bravely or stupidly asked as he held his mace towards Naruto.

Naruto's smile widened. "Or we'll _finish_ what we started today."

The three other members of Team NHKS moved before any member of Team CRDL could process what Naruto had said. They moved at once, their attacks nearly choreographed with how well timed they were.

Haku's face was frighteningly blank while he faced down Sky. With a small crack in the air, Snowfall had suddenly wrapped around Sky's waist before the blue-haired boy could realize that Haku had moved. Haku's eyes flared with rage before he pulled back and flung Sky towards him. Haku turned and let Sky fly past him to crash through a few branches and land on his face in a bush. Another pull jerked the blue-haired teen from the ground and slammed Sky's back into a tree. A third and final pull on Haku's part peeled Sky off of the tree and into a well-prepared punch that knocked him out cold. Haku stared down at the boy with thinly veiled anger in his eyes and twisted his wrist to unwind his weapon from Sky's waist.

Nearly frothing at the mouth when he was given the silent go ahead, Kurama charged at Russell with his hand still outstretched. His hand wrapped around Russell's throat, tightening slightly as he rushed the punk-like Hunstman-in-training into a tree back-first. Russell let out a choked cry of pain as the back of his head slammed into the bark. Kurama grinned at the sound and took in the fear that remained Russel's eyes. So Kurama was a bit of a sadist, sue him, it was part of who he was. With Rikudo's spear mode, Kurama stabbed the tip into Russell's collar and threw him into the air. Kurama watched with a disturbingly wide smile as he gleefully witnessed Russell land atop Sky's still form with a loud smack. The Faunus' tail flicked happily as the two teens groaned on the ground.

With vindication fueling him, Sasuke rushed forward and locked blades with Dove. Amaterasu's curved blade allowed Sasuke to control the struggle, but Dove was no slouch in swordplay as he held strong despite the disadvantage. Their eyes met, a dark pair filled with fear and a pair of black orbs darker than the night sky. Sasuke smirked and Dove paled. There was a soft boom of thunder before Dove recalled what Sasuke's Semblance could do, as shown in countless fights. Though everyone and their grandmother knew Sasuke abused his semblance, no one had yet to find a way to beat him in a class spar. No one aside from his teammates, that is. With this information in mind, Dove could only scream in agony when he was electrocuted, and all the while Sasuke continued to smirk.

The smoking Dove was then dragged over to the other two and piled on top of them. This was watched by the three defeated teens' team leader. Cardin tightened his grip on his mace and began to back away. He stopped his retreat and turned around when he was shoved in the back by the other team leader.

"My team just beat yours in five seconds flat." Naruto had an intense gleam in his eye. The gleam became much more prominent as he began a slow approach. Cardin retreated a few steps, his body trembling, but never once took his eyes off of the whiskered teen while he spoke. "Sky's back is most likely bruised, his ribs possibly cracked and his nose is definitely shattered. Russell's head is probably throbbing _and_ he's probably not fairing well from the massive fall he went through. Dove is, well, he's currently experiencing the reason why your parents told you that you're not supposed to put a penny into a live socket."

"...Y-You can't get away with this..." Cardin muttered. His father would - No, Cardin was not going to fall _that_ low. He was bigger than Naruto! The blond looked like a swimmer while Cardin was a knight! Cardin was trained in combat by the finest family teachers and Naruto was a known orphan, a nobody! He tightened his grip on his mace and he lifted it up over his head. A rage filled Cardin and he ignored the groaning members of his team. "You _won't_ get away with this!"

Naruto showed no surprise as the other team leader tried to assert himself over him. In fact, he almost looked like he had planned for it, if the small quirk of the lip was anything to go by. Cardin saw red and dropped his mace down. Naruto merely let his right hand shoot up and he caught the mace as it fell. Cardin grit his teeth and tugged his weapon back, but it did not budge. Naruto's eyes locked with Cardin's, before they looked to the mace in the blond's grasp. Cardin's burning rage was doused by a chill of fear that overcame him when Naruto crushed mace in his hand.

"Frightening, isn't it? But do you want to know what's really scary?" Naruto let a small smile cross his face as Cardin looked back at him. "I'm not even trying."

Cardin's eyes were wide as saucers at the claim. That mace was arguably made of the strongest metals used when crafting weaponry, but the blond just crumpled it like it was tissue paper. Even if it was bravado, it took a hell of a lot of strength to do what the whiskered blond had done. If Naruto could do that to metal, then what could he do to a human's body?

The question made all of the blood in Cardin's face drain away.

"Now, like we said before, stop bullying our friends or else we _will_ finish what we started." Naruto warned before he drove his left fist into the taller boy's stomach.

A sharp gasp escaped Cardin as he folded over from the blow and released his mace's handle. He stumbled back and fell to his knees, his arms wrapped around his stomach. Air failed to return properly and strangled sounds left Cardin's mouth. He faintly heard and blearily saw his ruined mace, his pride and joy, land in front of him. Naruto grabbed Cardin by the collar of his chest plate and lifted him up to look him in his dazed eyes.

"I don't know if you can still hear me or not, but on the off-chance you can, know that we're watching you, Cardin Winchester. Know that you and your team _lost_ without even a _sliver_ of a chance." Naruto paused for a moment before he leaned in and whispered into Cardin's ear. "And know that _I'll_ **end** _you_ if you **ever** try to hurt my friends again."

Naruto pulled away to find that the boy's eyes had fallen shut and that his breathing had evened out. He gave a look of disgust to the unconscious teen before reluctantly hefted him over his shoulder. Naruto knelt and grabbed Cardin's mace while Haku, Kurama and Sasuke similarly picked up the other three members of Team CRDL and their weapons. With everything all set, Naruto led his teammates back to the rendezvous point, going over their cover story as they did.

* * *

"Whoa, what happened to them?" Jaune asked as Team NHKS walked out of the woods with Team CRDL on their shoulders or in their arms.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly as he walked forward with Cardin's body draped over his shoulder, his teammates not far behind him.

"We found them fighting off a few Beowolves," he said. They had decided on making themselves out to be saviors while also making Team CRDL look somewhat respectable. This was only a warning, after all. Real humiliation and shame would come if Team CRDL decided to act out again. "Cardin's mace got crushed and the others got a bit winded. Poor Russell was pinned against a tree with a claw around his neck before Haku saved him. Being the good guys we are, we carried them back after they passed out."

"And your jars?" Professor Goodwitch asked. She adjusted her glasses and gave a disapproving look to Haku, Sasuke and Kurama while they walked past towards the waiting bulkhead.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "They sort of played the part of a needed sacrifice to ensure that we got away. I'll apologize to Prof. Peach when we get back."

"I see." Professor Goodwitch's eyes narrowed slightly. She let out a soft sigh and her gaze relaxed. "Very well, set him in the Bullhead with his team and we'll have some faculty carry them to the nurse's office when we return."

Naruto gave a two-handed salute and followed after his team, who were followed by a reunited Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren. The sight of the happy Team JNPR brought a small smile to Naruto's face. His attention was drawn away from Team JNPR when Yang bumped her arm into his.

"Wow, Whisker Boy, Cardin's got to be at least three hundred pounds with all that armor on, and I can't lift that much without my Semblance active. Even aura enhancement can't help you that much." Yang gave him an appreciative once over while her lips pulled up into a small smile. "Someone's a lot stronger than they look, huh?"

"Eh, this is nothing." Naruto waved off her praise with his free hand while he adjusted Cardin on his shoulder. "When I was on a field trip back home, my teacher made me carry a captured Ursa back as punishment for running off without supervision. Let me tell you, those things may dissolve into wisps of smoke, but they are _not_ light."

"I bet that really puts the 'oomph' in your pounding." Yang grinned as she elbowed her fellow blond.

"Yang! Seriously!?" Ruby, who was right in behind them along with the silently smirking Blake and the amused-but-trying-and-failing-at-not-showing-it Weiss, pulled her hood over her head and clapped her hands over her ears. Silver eyes glared up from beneath the edge of the red fabric into laughing lilac. "I _so_ don't want to hear that!"

"I was talking about fighting, Ruby," Yang said as Naruto laughed. The buxom blond grinned back at her little sister. "Such a little perv you've become. Geez, what would Dad say?"

"That it was your fault!" Ruby shot back with a small flush on her face as she glared at the two blonds. She grumbled to herself while her sister, teammates and Naruto laughed at her outburst.

"Enough fooling around, everyone on the Bullhead." Professor Goodwitch instructed as she strode past them. As Naruto boarded, he locked eyes with her and she gave a very brief nod to him, which made Naruto's smile become a tad bit bigger.

* * *

"Well, it would seem that because of the, uh, Beowolves' attack, Team CRDL needs at least two more weeks of rest and Sky Lark may need more intensive therapy for his back." Professor Ozpin took a sip of coffee as he looked at the four teens that stood before him. "It seems as though Team CRDL owes you their life, as hard as it was for them to admit it."

"Just glad we could help some fellow students, Prof. O!" Naruto grinned widely while Kurama snickered and Sasuke smirked. Haku blinked and furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what was really said. A second passed before Haku's eyes widened and a smile crossed his face.

In the reflection of Ozpin's glasses was where Haku found the answer. Strewn across the headmaster's desk was a mess of papers, with a few of them having backwards written words that were hardly noticeable unless one looked. Together, the words formed a small message.

 _CRDL silenced. Investigation begun. Good Job._

"If that's all, then I believe I can file these injuries off as a Grimm attack and call it a day." Ozpin smiled lightly at the team before him. "Good job, boys. I can see you all are destined for great things and very protective. Now, off to bed with you. Tomorrow, the weekend begins, and one should always use that time wisely."

"You got it, Prof. O!" Naruto gave a two-fingered salute before he led his team out of the headmaster's office.

Once the door was shut Ozpin sat back and sighed slightly. He relaxed in his chair for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

"He certainly is his father's son." The headmaster's words were met with a chuckle.

"Isn't he? I think he's more like his mother, if I had to be honest." A tall man stepped slightly out of the shadows. The man cupped a hand on his chin and tilted his head back as he looked up. "I thought we had taught him better than that. He didn't even bother to check to see if the room was clear before the debriefing began."

"He is still young and his guard never dropped. Besides, I believe he realized a moment after I started to speak that something was amiss," Ozpin said with a smile. He lost it though and his hands interlaced in front of him. "Have you any new developments, my friend?"

"Something is on the move," the tall man said with a frown on his face. "I don't know if it's the Fourth War, Roman Torchwick's mysterious faction or the White Fang, but something is coming. They need to be ready, Oz. Not just those boys, but all of your students. They are going to be drawn into action and soon. Before you say anything, the time for letting the young act young is coming to a close. We need them to be protectors, hunters, and possibly even soldiers."

He dropped a file on the desk and Ozpin barely took a moment to look at the black CRDL scrawled across the vanilla file. Ozpin didn't bother to look at it, as he knew by the cardinal red tag what it contained. He was the one that had offered it to his guest, after all.

"These boys are _not_ soldiers of Remnant, protectors of people, or even Hunters to counter the forces of Grimm. They are hotheaded, arrogant, cowardly, greedy and selfish little _bastards_."

The man leaned forward, glaring into Ozpin's calm eyes, while he pressed his fists into the desk.

"How did _these_ bastards get into _your_ school, 'Great and Powerful' Ozpin?"

"I do not know." Ozpin took a sip of his coffee and set the mug down atop the file. He looked up and met the hard gaze of his guest. "But believe me, they will _not_ be here for much longer. It will take time, but we will find a way to legally plunge them from the system."

"Make sure of that." The man's gaze became piercing. "Remnant doesn't need any more Falls, Torchwicks, or Weasels on the loose."

"That we can agree on." Ozpin nodded firmly. He folded his hands together and glanced up at the other occupant of the room. "Any word on their availability?"

The guest seemed to lose the tension in his shoulders. He backed away and smiled.

"Oh, KAAG will be more than ready for this mission."

"Good," Ozpin said with a similar smile on his face. "It was nice to see you again, my friend."

"I'm always up for a visit, Oz." The figure waved before he slipped into the shadows and disappeared. Ozpin sipped his coffee and looked at the file that had been replaced when he wasn't looking. His smile widened as he flipped it open to find a biography along with a picture and he chuckled.

"My, my, so many interesting people come out of _those_ academies... Very interesting indeed."

* * *

"Coco, I swear if you don't let me go I'm going to prank you so har-gah!" Naruto gagged as his self-proclaimed sister hugged him tightly. He sent a glare to the rest of his team and the other members of Team CFVY for letting this happen. The older students had stumbled across Team NHKS shortly after they left Ozpin's office and the leader had quickly glomped her younger brother.

"I'm _so_ proud of you!" Coco said for the umpteenth time. "Saving the bad bullies from a group of Beowolves after they tried to blackmail another rookie. Such a good little boy."

"Oi! I'm _not_ little!"

Sasuke smirked as he used his Scroll to record the duo. "I'm so holding this over his head forever."

"Agreed." Kurama snickered while Velvet giggled next to him.

Haku looked at Fox, who watched the interaction with a small smirk on his face. "I'm glad you got my message. Naruto was getting a bit fatheaded."

Fox merely waved him off. The older teen was a man of few words.

"Coco really does care about him," Yatsuhashi said softly as he smiled at the sight of the two 'siblings'. "We have a few missions coming up and she's trying to hide it, but she's worried about you all. Professor Ozpin has been acting far stranger than usual. His disappearance this morning put our teachers on edge."

Haku arched a brow. _So only Professor Goodwitch knew? Interesting._

"Haku! Help me! I'm your partner, dammit!"

Haku looked at Naruto with a small amused smile. The whiskered leader was caught in a noogie from Coco and struggling to escape while the older girl laughed.

"Say it! Say you love your sister!"

"Never!"

* * *

Naruto climbed to the roof of the dorm in order to escape Coco's grasp, using an access hatch that he discovered while he was playing a few pranks. As he hid, he kept a close eye on the solemn Jaune when the other blond walked out onto the balcony and stared off at the horizon. After Naruto learned that the boy had saved Cardin from an Ursa that attacked the two in a message from Yang, who was curious about his sudden disappearance, his opinion of his fellow blond leader rose significantly.

Even though Naruto still felt he was the cooler of the two.

Naruto smiled as he sat on the ledge, his gaze down at the balcony below. Jaune and Pyrrha's friendship was fixed, and Naruto had to cover his mouth to keep from giving away his position. Deciding that this was a moment he shouldn't be spying on, Naruto rolled back and kipped to his feet.

"Good call, Puke Boy." Naruto mused as he walked to the roof access with a smile on his face. He kicked the access panel open and then tilted his head in thought. "Guess it's like Kakashi said, 'The Road of Life has many twists and turns.'"

* * *

 **AN: There's a bit of a tease of a pairing for those who are wondering. Questions are raised: Who is the mysterious guest in Ozpin's office? Who are the members of KAAG (Kage)? And most importantly...**

 **What happens next?**

 **REVANGLE!**


	7. Son Goku Finds A Penny

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **VII: Son Goku Finds A Penny**

* * *

"So, it was nice of you to invite us to come with, but...festivals aren't my scene," Kurama said dryly as he and his teammates followed Team RWBY through the city of Vale. He was content to stay at Beacon for their Friday off, but Naruto had, for some reason, immediately accepted the invitation to come along. He was almost eager to do so, when they were asked. Naruto refused to tell his team why that was, and the grin on his face left nothing but the feeling of dread in his team's stomachs.

"Figures that _you_ would say that, Ōtsutsuki," Weiss said with a scoff. She gained a small smile as she walked through the streets. "This is no ordinary festival, though. This is the Vytal Festival! The Festival where Hunters from all over the Four Kingdoms gather together to celebrate different cultures through dances, parades, and a tournament!"

"Sounds like a good time, what do you think?" Yang asked Naruto, who was far too interested in something on his Scroll. She arched a brow when he didn't respond. "Whisker boy, I asked you a question...Hello?"

Naruto snickered and rapidly wrote something back with his thumbs. Yang's eye twitched as her normally responsive friend ignored her. She leaned over to get a look at what he was reading, only for Naruto to collapse his Scroll before she could make any words out.

"Sorry, just checking the weather," he said with a smile. "What was your question, Yang?"

"I asked you how big you were when you were all hot and bothered," Yang said with a smirk on her face. The other members of Team RWBY gawked and stuttered at her comment while the other three boys gained amused smirks. Yang ignored them and watched Naruto intently, she wanted to catch him off guard in retribution for ignoring her.

"Eh, bout three-fourths of a ruler, give or take," Naruto said nonchalantly like he was discussing the weather. Kurama and Sasuke laughed when _all_ of the members of Team RWBY stopped walking and turned bright red. Haku shook his head and smiled at Yang as she gaped at Naruto's response.

"I'm fairly certain that Naruto doesn't know the meaning of the word modesty." He sighed slightly. There were many a time over the past few months where Haku stepped out of the shower to find his half-awake blond friend using the toilet. It wasn't exactly the type of thing one wanted to see after they stepped out of the shower, but as a male, he could understand it. Still, Team NHKS was awaiting the answer to their request for a better lock on their bathroom door.

"Y-Yeah, but he could just be trying to cover for himself when it comes to _that_ topic," Yang quickly said to save face, her cheeks cooled unlike her teammate's. She glared at Kurama and Sasuke when they smirked at her.

"We've known the idiot since childhood," Sasuke said as he nodded towards Naruto, who had started to look at his Scroll again. "And we've roomed together for nearly half a year. Trust us when we say that Naruto's not kidding. Plus, Haku's right. Naruto does _not_ care about modesty."

"Yeah, I'll take a bowl of chicken ramen, Sasuke." Naruto waved off his teammate as he read through his scroll and snickered again before his thumbs began to blur across the screen. The group of eight were silent for a moment save for the tapping of Naruto's thumbs and his occasional snickers.

"W-Well, yes, but that aside, there was a reason I wanted to come here today. And it was _not_ to discuss Uzumaki's privates." Weiss huffed with red cheeks as she once more started to lead the group down the street. Yang had to grab Naruto by his hood and pull him along since he was buried in his Scroll. As they walked, Weiss, Blake and Ruby started to lose the blood that had rushed to their cheeks while Yang had a pensive gleam in her eye.

"So, what's so special about the Vytal, anyway?" Sasuke asked, tired of the quiet. That and Naruto's snickering was grating on his nerves. He needed a distraction before he instigated a fight just to end the annoyance.

"This festival takes a long time to put together, all of the planning has to be perfect and all the coordination between the many people is astounding." Weiss explained with a smile on her face. She intertwined her hands together and sighed happily. "To be in charge of such an important event...Can you imagine how much work goes into making it a perfect atmosphere for Vale's guests? It's inspiring!"

"Uh, I don't think _that_ is supposed to be inspiring," Kurama said as he pointed at a taped off Dust shop with two men standing outside it. The window was broken and yellow tape formed an X on the interior.

The two teams approached the crime scene and Ruby interrupted the arguing officers with a clearing of her throat.

"What happened here?" She asked.

"Some brat threw a brick through the window, what do you think, kid?" The officer taking notes answered rudely.

"Officer, there's no need for that. We're just concerned citizens," Haku said in Ruby's defense.

"Eh, the pretty one's got a point," the other officer said with a smile. "Someone broke in and robbed the place."

"Strange thing, too. This is the fourth store hit this week," The irate officer said with a grunt. "And the lien was still in the register, just like the others."

"Man, who would need all that Dust?" the other asked.

"I don't know, White Fang maybe. You know what I do know?"

"We don't get paid enough for this?"

"Well, that _and_ the Chief will have our heads if we don't break one of these robberies before the festival starts."

The two teams took that as their cue to leave while the two officers started to moan and groan about their job.

Weiss scowled and crossed her arms. "White Fang...figures that group of Faunus would be behind this."

"Hey, watch it, Schnee." Kurama warned with a growl.

"I'm just saying, only that group full of psychopathic criminals would do something so-so thoughtless and horrible," Weiss said.

"The White Fang are _not_ a bunch of psychopaths," Blake said with a frown. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Um, they're trying to wipe out all of Humanity." Weiss argued with a raised brow.

"Okay, they're _really_ misguided," Blake said as she crossed her arms. "They're not all that bad though and either way, there's no reason for them to steal a bunch of Dust."

"She's not wrong," Sasuke said. "About the White Fang, I mean. A few old members left because of the violent actions that the organization was starting to take. There was a member back in our hometown, he was a nice guy."

"Really? What happened to him?" Weiss asked.

Sasuke scowled and Kurama snarled as they looked away.

"The Fourth War killed him." Naruto answered quietly as he pocketed his Scroll and slipped his hands in his pockets while he lowered his head. "His name was Hiruzen Sarutobi and he was killed in another Fourth War attack six years ago."

"Oh."

The air turned tense as the members of Team RWBY tried to think of something to say while Haku put a hand on his partner's shoulder. Naruto gave his partner a grateful smile before he looked up and beamed.

"Awesome, we're at the docks!" Naruto cheered.

"Yes it – wait, why is that awesome for you?" Weiss asked. The others joined her in staring curiously at the whiskered blond.

"Uhh...I don't know?" Naruto offered weakly as he looked around the docks nervously. "I mean, um..."

His pocket buzzed again and Kurama snagged the scroll before Naruto could stop him. Kurama held the item over his head and smirked as the slightly shorter teen tried to take it back.

"I wonder what could be on this that you're trying to keep secret?" Kurama asked as his thumb lingered over the button.

"Dammit, Kurama, give it back! That's an invasion of my privacy!" Naruto hissed as he tried to grab his Scroll. He was stopped from jumping as Yang looped one of her arms through Naruto's to keep him in place while she smirked at Kurama.

"Read it, Foxy," Yang said. She wanted to know what distracted her friend from her amazing puns and jokes.

"Oi! Yang!"

"Hm, apparently there's a new message from...Son Goku?" Kurama arched a brow and looked at his team leader.

"...He's my pen pal. Now give it!"

Yang pulled Naruto back as he made a leap for his Scroll. "Oh, no. Now I _have_ to know what it says. Kurama?"

"Way ahead of you, Blondie." Kurama smirked as he opened the message. "'Good news, Menma!'"

"Real original there, Naruto."

"Screw you, Sasuke!"

"'I think we dropped anchor,'" Kurama said as he continued to read the message despite Sasuke's ribbing. "'I'm going to crawl out of my hiding spot and sneak onto the docks. Hope to meet up with you soon, little dude!' Aw, you got a close friend by the sound of it, Naruto."

"Shut up, Kurama!" Naruto hissed with narrowed eyes. He caught his scroll as it was tossed to him and stuck it in his pocket.

"Almost brotherly," Sasuke said with a smirk. "Does Coco have to worry about some mystery guy stealing her cute little brother away?"

Naruto looked at him with horror. "You wouldn't dare."

Sasuke flicked his Scroll open and his smirk widened as the team leader paled. "Try me."

"Who's Coco?" Ruby asked Haku under her breath.

"An older student. She's in my History class and part of Velvet's team." Haku explained. "She's taken to Naruto and practically adopted him as her little brother. Her teammates like to treat him as such. She's very similar to Yang sometimes."

Ruby grinned and pointed at Naruto with a smile on her face. "A-ha! Now you know my pain when you and Yang gang up on me!"

"Is she hot?" Yang's question caught her teammates slightly off guard. She shrugged. "What? You know how hard it is to avoid someone without knowing what they look like?"

"She's got a point," Kurama said with a shrug. He made an iffy gesture with his hand. "Well, I'm not into you apes so the most I can say is-"

He was cut off when shouts came from a nearby docked ship. The eight looked over as a distant figure ran across the deck of the ship and leapt to the docks despite the yell. Naruto's eyes went wide and he broke free from Yang's grip with a wide smile on his face as he ran towards the dock, knocking the two policemen to the ground in the process.

"Sorry!" Haku apologized to the two officers as he, Kurama, Sasuke and Team RWBY chased after the blond. They followed Naruto to the dock, where he stopped and stared at the teen that hung by his tail from a light post.

"You no-good stowaway!" a man on the ship yelled angrily.

"Hey, a 'no-good stowaway' would've gotten caught! I'm a _great_ stowaway!" The blond Faunus argued as he flipped up and sat on the light post while he peeled and ate a banana. He paused in his second bite as he caught sight of the group and his eyes widened. The 'stowaway' swallowed his bite before he grinned and jumped from the light post to land in front of the Beacon students.

He had blond hair just as messy as Naruto's own, despite the fact it was a lighter shade. His skin was similarly tanned and they both shared similar blue eyes, though Naruto's were darker. The Faunus was dressed in an open white shirt that revealed his toned physique, red gloves and jeans that were rolled up to his knees while sneakers covered his feet.

The Faunus' tail swung up happily like a monkey's as he looked Naruto over.

"Sun-kissed hair, whiskered cheeks, orange all over, Menma, my bro, is that you?" He asked eagerly.

"Monkey tail, red gloves and a chain on the right side of your pants! Goku!" Naruto greeted happily as he threw his fist forward.

"Menma!" 'Goku' grinned and copied the action.

Their knuckles collided and the two burst into even wider grins.

"Sun Wukong." 'Goku' introduced himself.

"Naruto Uzumaki. I can't believe you actually made it all the way to Vale!" Naruto greeted the Faunus teen happily as they broke off their fist bump.

Sun Wukong slipped his arm over Naruto's shoulders and ran his other hand through his hair. "Hey, man, when you're as slick as me, anything is possible."

"...Oh Oum, there's more than two..." Sasuke mumbled. Kurama actively whimpered and Haku sighed.

Yang, however, looked between the two blond boys with a grin on her face.

"Sorry, Handsome, but that offer for a threesome with me and Whisker Boy has been redacted." She tapped her chin playfully. "Now, how to get them to make me a Yanging sandwich?"

"I think I'm going to hurl." Ruby groaned.

"I was talking about making me food. Man, Rubes, your mind has fallen _deep_ into that gutter, hasn't it?" Yang teased. She grinned widely when Ruby glared at her. Weiss and Blake sighed, but both had small smiles on their faces at the sisters' byplay.

"I have _got_ to show you the good stuff! The Ramen shops, the Dust shops, that haven't been robbed anyway, the secret you-know-what stock store," Naruto said as he started to lead the teen past the group.

"All in good time, man, I'm in no rush. I'm just glad to be here, stoked even!" Sun looked over the gathered group and winked at Blake before he returned his attention to Naruto. "But maybe some introductions are in order first. Eh?"

Naruto looked from Sun, to his friends, and back. A sheepish grin spread across his face while he scratched the back of his head.

"Right, right, sorry." He apologized. Naruto turned to the two teams and held a hand out to Sun. "Guys, this is my pen-pal and long distant friend since I was ten years old, Son Go-er, Sun Wukong."

Sun waved at the group and patted Naruto's shoulder. "Sorry if this was a surprise for you all, but, uh, I'm _technically_ not supposed to be here yet."

"Hence why Naruto kept it secret," Haku said with a sigh. He gave his partner a bemused smile. "Still, I'm surprised that you haven't mentioned your pen-pal sooner."

"Oh, he's been busy with missions with his team, so we haven't been able to talk since, what, last year?" Naruto asked.

Sun nodded. "That sounds about right."

"Hey you!" The group of teens looked back as the cops started to walk towards them.

"Uh-oh, the fuzz!" Sun looked around nervously.

Naruto pushed Sun in front of him and they fled from the officers. He looked over his shoulder at the others. "Split up and cheese it!"

Team RWBY took his words to heart and split down the other way. Haku stepped into a mirror and vanished. The cops ran past Kurama and Sasuke without acknowledging them. The two partners waited for a moment before they looked at each other.

"...Wanna go hit up the arcade?" Sasuke asked.

Kurama shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

"Wow, they really _don't_ ever look up," Sun said in surprise as he and Naruto relaxed on the ledge of a building. They watched the alleyway they had ducked into as the two officers ran right past the fire escape they climbed.

"Told you so." Naruto grinned and looked up as Haku stepped out of a mirror beside him. "Hey, Haku. Haku, Sun Wukong. Sun, this is my assigned partner Haku Yuki."

Sun tilted his head before he beamed and pointed at the newcomer on the roof. "Ah, yeah! You're the really polite girly boy that can walk through teleporting mirrors."

Haku sighed and nodded with a small smile. "Well, Naruto explained it almost correctly, so I can't fault you. A pleasure to meet you, Sun."

"Man, you really are super polite." Sun blinked with a wry grin on his face. He looked at his fellow blond. "So, how'd you prank him?"

"Eh, let my other teammate who thought he was a girl walk in on him while he was showering."

"Nice!"

Haku sighed into his hand as he palmed his face. _What have I walked into?_

Sun hopped to his feet and dusted off his pants.

"Right then, can we go find the cute girls now?" He grinned at Naruto. "I want learn more about the hottie that was ogling us. So, what? You two dating?"

"Nah, Yang and I are just joking around most of the time," Naruto said as he got to his feet and interlaced his hands behind his head.

"Then she's open season?" Sun asked with a grin. Naruto gave Sun a small smile.

"I guess so. But, old friend or not, if you do hook up with her and hurt her down the line..." Naruto reached out and punched a smokestack. A web of cracks spread up the brick before it crumbled into dust. Haku stared at the feat of strength while Sun laughed nervously and his tail ducked between his legs.

"Message received, man. Message received."

"You should've seen what he did to a student that was blackmailing our male friend." Haku smiled lightly at the memory. "The student's weapon was crushed and he was knocked out in a single punch. He's still in the medical ward of Beacon recovering, I think."

"Yikes." Sun blinked and looked back at Naruto. "You are a scary dude, you know that?"

"That's _not_ including the pranks I've done over the years." Naruto added. A Cheshire grin spread across his face. "I've yet to be caught for the real big ones."

"I repeat, _you're_ a scary dude."

* * *

"Hm, this would be a lot easier if Kurama was with us," Naruto said as he peered down from the rooftop of the building he was on. "This city is almost too big, they could be anywhere by now."

"We could try to contact them with our scrolls," Haku said dryly, only to be ignored. He was seated and using his looking glass to see if he could pinpoint either Team RWBY or Kurama and Sasuke under Naruto's instructions.

Sun rubbed his chin and then snapped his fingers. "Oh, is Kurama the fox-tailed Faunus? The dude in the red?"

"Right." Naruto nodded with a grin.

"He's the one that you pranked with a water gun, a pencil and rubber duckies, right?"

"Yep! He kicked my ass hard for that one. Heck, I think that's the reason I managed to activate my Semblance for the first time."

"I want to know so badly what you're talking about, but I think for sanity's sake, it's better if I don't ask," Haku said. "They're not on main street."

Sun chuckled as he plopped down next to the feminine boy. "You're a lot like my buddy Neptune, you know. The straight man of the group."

"You implying that you're not straight?" Naruto asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Little dude, life is worth living to the fullest," Sun said with a sagely nod. "We only got one shot to do with it what we will, so why not go for what we want? Girls, guys, human or Faunus? I don't care, Sun just wants to bring the fun!"

"Wise words, my friend." Naruto nodded. "You only live once. Y-O-L-O."

"Yolo?" Sun rubbed his chin again and his lips spread into another smile. "Yolo...I like that. It's got a nice ring to it."

"Yeah, but if it becomes a phrase, people will use it as an excuse to do stupid things," Naruto said as he sat down beside his penpal.

"Isn't that the purpose of it though?" Sun asked him.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I agree that you should live life to the fullest, but you should not risk your life trying to perform stupid acts. Yolo should be, like, a suggestion."

"Ah, you mean like a school's rules?"

"Exactly!"

Haku sighed. "I fear for the future if either of you become teachers or procreate."

"Man, Sasuke and Kurama made you so mean," Naruto said with a pout while Sun laughed at the look on his face.

"Found them." Haku's eyes blinked a few times before he stood up and pointed to the north. "Team RWBY is four blocks that way on Monty Ave."

"Cool, then let's go! I'm getting sick of sitting around. It's making me all philosophical and stuff," Sun said and shuddered at the thought. He rubbed his chin. "But how to make this interesting? You two up for a race?"

"Sure! Ready-set-go!" Naruto jumped across the street and landed on the other building's roof. He turned and grinned at Sun and Haku while he flashed them the victory sign.

"Hey! You little rat, that's cheating!" Sun scowled before he followed after the shorter blond.

Haku watched the Faunus and his partner start to race across the rooftops and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "How did I not see that coming?"

With a sigh, Haku made a mirror behind himself and stepped into it. He might as well throw both off guard by beating them in the race. They never set any ground rules, so Haku would abuse it and hold the victory over his team leader's head. Forever.

* * *

"Not cool, man. Not cool." Sun sulked beside Naruto, both of them curled up on the roof of the building and drawing circles with their fingers.

"Haku's so mean...cheating like that." Naruto agreed with a sniffle.

Haku rolled his eyes. "Grow up, Naruto. Neither of you set ground rules, so why wouldn't I abuse my Semblance?"

"Cheater..." the two blonds accused sourly.

"I prefer to see it as thinking outside the box," Haku said. He looked down and arched a brow. "It seems that Ruby has made a new friend..."

"New friend?" Naruto asked as he perked up.

"Is she cute?" Sun asked at the same time.

Haku hummed. "Can't really tell from this far up..."

"Then let's go say hello!" Naruto exclaimed before he hopped over the edge of the roof. "Look out below!"

"...He really is the twin brother I never had," Sun said with a chuckle before he did a swan dive. "Banzai!"

Haku's eye twitched and pinched the bridge of his nose. "One week he decides to be super smart and tactical, and the next it's like he's a kid on a sugar rush. Fog Academy never prepared you for this kind of teammate. It has to be something in the ramen. It just has to be."

He stepped back into a mirror and walked out to stand next to Weiss, who jumped when she realized he was there.

"Ah! Geez, Haku, you need to say something when you do that!" Weiss glared at the androgynous boy.

"Sorry, Weiss." Haku smiled at the girl. He then looked up as Naruto landed beside him and Sun flipping at the last second to land safely. "What took you two so long?"

"Dude, so not funny." Sun mumbled as he crossed his arms and pouted at the smiling feminine boy.

Naruto shook his head before he looked at the other new addition to the small group. She was a girl about Ruby's height, but had a few inches on his fellow team leader. Her hair was curly and chin-length, and – most importantly – an _awesome_ shade of orange. Her eyes were green and freckles were dusted across her nose and cheeks. In her _awesome_ orange hair was a pink bow and around her neck was an oddly futuristic looking black and neon green collar. It was odd because he clashed with the old-fashioned beige clothes that the girl wore. Then again, the collar matched her stockings, so maybe it was fine.

Naruto wasn't really into fashion, he liked wearing orange, which was noted to be a fashion no-no.

"So, Ruby, who's the new girl?" Naruto asked while he let his hands interlace behind his head.

"Someone Weiss ran into," Ruby said. She ignored the outraged cry that her partner made. "Naruto, this is, uh, Penny."

Naruto grinned at the girl. "Nice to meet ya!"

"Salutations!" Penny greeted back with a smile on her face.

Haku stared at the girl before he leaned over to Sun. "Do you notice anything... _off_ about her?"

"Yeah, I know." Sun nodded in agreement. "That collar looks _way_ out of place. She needs some bling or something, and to show a bit of skin like the Schnee girl or Blondie, there."

Haku clapped his hand to his face while Weiss flushed bright red and glared at the Faunus. Yang grinned at her fellow blond and put a hand on her hip while she flipped her hair.

"Well, you know, if you got it, you gotta flaunt it!" She said.

Sun laughed and gestured to his lack of shirt. "I totally agree! If we're gonna die on a job, might as well do so looking amazing!"

"Or with a smile on your face," Naruto said with a nod.

"...There _are_ three of them..." Ruby mumbled with horror. She swallowed and rubbed her arms. "Dad's not going to believe this..."

"Gotta enjoy what you do." Yang agreed before she frowned at her whiskered friend. "So where did you run off to?"

Sun arched a brow and looked at his laidback companion. "I thought you two weren't dating?"

"We're not," Naruto said as he gave an Faunus boy a confused look. "Didn't I already explain that?"

"Yeah, but she totally just used the 'you're in trouble and you're not getting any until I say so' voice," Sun said. Naruto stared at him for a moment, which made Sun furrow his brow. "You've had a girlfriend before, right?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Yeah."

"Not according to Sasuke and Kurama, you haven't." Haku drawled. Yang snickered and Blake pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You're not allowed to talk, cheater." Naruto glared at his partner, who rolled his eyes in response.

Sun munched on an apple he pulled from...somewhere. "And you have had sex, right?"

"Where did you get that apple?" Weiss asked, but scowled when she was ignored.

"Dude," Naruto said, mock offended. "I _told_ you about that time I took that fine woman working at the Kon ramen shop!"

Sun rubbed his chin and took a bite from his apple. He slowly started to nod his head. "Right, right, that girl without the gag reflex."

"Not listening!" Ruby declared as she pulled her hood over her head and covered her ears. Yang arched a brow at Naruto.

"No gag reflex?" She asked. The whiskered blond winked back at her, before he looked back at his Faunus friend.

"Exactly. Thanks for those tips, by the way," Naruto said with a nod.

Sun tossed his finished apple over his shoulder and smirked. "Little dude, it's what I'm here for. To spread my message of fun and free living across the world!"

"No, but seriously, where did you get that apple?" Weiss asked again with a scowl.

"Stole it. So you've had a girlfriend –"

"Debatable."

"Haku, shut up." Naruto glared at his partner.

"You stole it!?" Weiss glared at the blond Faunus.

Sun arched a brow. "Yeah, so what?"

Weiss felt her eye twitch. "You no good rapscallian, I should turn you in to the authorities. Perhaps you have some information about the White Fang!"

"Wow, so quick to jump on that boat, aren't you?" Sun asked, smiling in amusement.

"And you snuck onto a ship! More evidence of your criminal connections!" Weiss scowled at the Faunus boy. "I'm going to take you into the police to see how far your connections go. I'm certain with enough digging we'll discover something on the evil White Fang-!"

"For the last time, the White Fang aren't evil!" Blake snapped at the Schnee heiress.

"They _are_ crazy, though." Sun crossed his arms and nodded sagely. He arched a brow when Blake glared at him. "What'd I say?"

"Anyway! Yes, I _have_ had a girlfriend." Naruto repeated so that he could get back on topic.

Sun nodded and looked back at his younger friend. "You've had a girlfriend and you've had sex...but have you had sex with a girlfriend?"

"..."

"Your silence speaks volumes."

"Fuck you, Haku."

"I'd pay to see it!" Yang hooted and nudged Blake. "Am I right?"

Blake glared at her. "I am _not_ in the mood."

"Got it."

"I don't understand, why would you pay to see him fuck him?" Penny asked with a confused smile as she pointed from Naruto to Haku. The group, save for Ruby who was still in her own little world thanks to her hands over her ears and her humming, looked at her. "Is it because you are sexually aroused by homosexual intercourse between two attractive males? Why would that arouse you?"

"...Ri-i-ight..." Sun turned back to Naruto. That was not a question he wanted to touch on, considering the odd way the girl had phrased it. "That tone Blondie there used is usually reserved for a sexually active partner."

Naruto blinked, looked to Yang – who winked at him – and then looked back at Sun. "So...What does that mean?"

Haku dropped his face into his hand and let out a groan. _He can construct a sadistic and well-prepared intimidation ambush, psychologically analyze people with a glace, but can't see when he and Yang have chemistry? My partner is so strange..._

"...Nope, I've interfered far too much already." Sun crossed his arms and began to walk away. He stopped and turned back with a grin on his face. "I'm gonna go check out some of the food around town and see if I can't find a place to stay, meet up tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Naruto nodded with a grin on his face. "I can show you _that_ place for the things-that-shan't-be-named."

Sun grinned and gave Naruto a thumb's up. He then jumped up to the top of a nearby building and ran off, Naruto and Penny waving him off.

"Farewell new acquaintance! I cannot wait until we face one another in the tournament!" Penny smiled as she waved.

Weiss, Blake, Yang, Haku and Naruto turned to face Penny.

It was Weiss who broke the ice. "You're participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament?"

Penny turned to her and beamed. "Yes! I'm combat ready!"

"...She's _adorable._ " Naruto beamed as he looked at the girl.

"Indeed. Coco would love her."

Naruto glowered at his partner. "Why must you bring her up?"

"Because she's the only one that can keep you in check aside from this Kakashi fellow I keep hearing about in passing?" Haku returned dryly.

"Psh, Kakashi _wishes_ he could keep me in check!" Naruto scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"...Wait, that degenerate is participating as well? How do you know that?" Weiss asked Penny with narrowed eyes.

Penny smiled at her. "I have read and memorized the list of participants from all schools in the tournament eight thousand, three hundred and twenty seven times. Sun Wukong is a talented fighter from–"

"Mistral." Naruto finished with a grin. He, unlike the others, was not phased by Penny's odd reading habits. "So I can assume you've been watching his videos?"

Penny turned to him and nodded. "I've been analyzing his fighting style, yes."

"Videos?" Yang asked with an arched brow.

"Quick little informational videos on impromptu fighting." Naruto shrugged. "Mostly him beating the tar out of his classmates."

"I may have to look at some of these videos..." Yang mused. "Watch those abs move...how did he get those, anyway?"

"He's got a special intense workout he's developed since he was young." Naruto nodded as he lifted his shirt to reveal his defined abdominals, which were similar to Sun's. "I've been using Sun's workout since I was fourteen. It's made me very flexible."

Yang grinned at him. "Really now?"

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe, Yang." Naruto grinned back.

"Flirt later." Weiss cut between the two blonds and she grabbed Penny's shoulders. "Does he have any connections to the White Fang?"

Blake snapped her eyes open and glared at Weiss. "Why are you so insistent on making him out to be a bad guy?"

"Um, because he stole some apples? Snuck onto a ship and who knows what else?" Weiss countered as she turned and looked at the raven-haired girl. "Face the facts, Blake. That Faunus is a criminal!"

"Oi! That's my friend, you're talking about Sneeze," Naruto said with a frown.

"And that makes you an accomplice!" Weiss argued.

"So?" Naruto countered with an arched brow. He crossed his arms. "Sun's a good guy. He's my friend. So he steals apples and sneaks on boats, so what? I've done similar stuff."

"That's not a good thing!" Weiss glared at him. She released Penny and turned to fully face Naruto. "You should be ashamed of yourself, abusing your training in such a manner!"

Ruby, hearing her partner's angry voice, dropped her hands from her ears and looked around.

"What'd I miss?" Ruby asked her sister

Yang, without removing her eyes from the arguing trio, shushed her. "This is getting good, just watch. I'll fill you in later."

"Am I?" Naruto asked with an arched brow. "Huntsmen and Huntresses are occasionally required to do unsavory things to stop criminals, Weiss. Sun may steal, but that doesn't make him just as bad as the members of the White Fang."

"The White Fang aren't bad," Blake said with a scowl as she frowned at Naruto.

"They're not _good_ either." Naruto argued. He frowned at the girl he secretly knew to be a Faunus. "Their actions make them no better than the Fourth War. They want to get equality through fear, but that's not equality, that's just turning the tables. They've become what they hate and they don't even realize it."

Blake frowned at him. "...They're misguided, not evil."

"I never said they were evil. I said that Sun was not as bad as the members of the White Fang, who _plan_ attacks that will result in loss of life. Sun's called them crazy, and I don't believe that's right either." Naruto continued. "The members of the White Fang are angry and filled with bloodlust, whether its right or not is up for debate."

"Not all of them are like that. Some just want equality for Faunus, even if they have to act drastically."

"Why are you so adamant about defending them?" Weiss asked with a frown.

"Why are you so intent on making them out to be evil?" Blake shot back.

Penny tilted her head. "Are they friends?"

"Yes," Ruby said. She grimaced as the two girls glared at one another. "I think."

"If they are friends, why are they arguing?" Penny asked. "I thought that friends were honest and trusted each other. I would wish for my friends to agree with me, I would not want to argue with them."

"Friends argue all the time." Haku interjected. He smiled at Penny when she looked at him. "To have a different opinion is to be sentient, and one truth that most, if not all, agree on is that freedom is the right to all sentient beings."

"However, this subject is far more complicated for them." Naruto added. He gestured to Weiss as the two girls resumed their increasingly loud argument. "Weiss' family has not had good relations or interactions with any members of the White Fang, hence her heavy bias. Blake is a strong supporter of Faunus Rights and wants to see a world where humans and Faunus are equal. She also has given the White Fang the benefit of the doubt and hopes they will return to their old ways."

"...How do you know that?" Yang asked.

Naruto shrugged. "We've had some nice conversations when working on projects for Professor Oobleck. Not going to lie, aside from Prof. O, he's my favorite teach."

"...Isn't he, like, hopped up on coffee twenty-four seven?" Ruby asked.

"Exactly! It's funny!" Naruto beamed.

Penny had an inquisitive frown on her face. "So, they argue over different opinions, but they are still friends?"

"Yes," Haku said. "Weiss and Blake have strong personalities that would keep them apart from each other initially if not for their team placement. However, time and interaction has made them close. This one argument will not separate them-"

"Maybe _we_ were sick of being pushed around!"

"...I think." Haku blinked in surprise at Blake's outburst.

Naruto rolled his eyes and interlaced his hands behind his head. "They'll be fine – Wow, I didn't know Blake had a speed Semblance like you, Ruby."

"She...She's..." Weiss stuttered as she stared in shock at the bow in her hand.

"She was a Faunus?" Yang and Ruby were also surprised by this, apparently, since their words were soft and their eyes were wide.

Penny tilted her head. "You weren't aware?"

"To be fair, humans aren't that smart," Naruto said with a smile. "People see what they want to see. Heck, I wouldn't have known Bell was a Faunus if Kurama hadn't told me when we first met her."

"You knew?!" The three girls on Team RWBY that were still present snapped their gaze to Naruto.

Haku tilted his head. "I figured it out after she had tuna sandwiches three days in a row."

"And Kurama confirmed it when you asked."

"That, too."

"...Why didn't you tell us?!" Weiss demanded as she stormed over to the leader of Team NHKS.

Naruto arched a brow. "Why didn't you tell Ruby that you're the one who ate the last of her chocolate chip cookies and not Yang?"

"That was you!?" "I told you I didn't do it!" The two sisters shouted, one in anger and the other in triumph.

Weiss glared daggers at Naruto. "...You read my d-journal?"

"Yes, I read your diary." Naruto nodded proudly. He grinned at her. "I'm flattered you think my whisker marks are cute, by the way." He shrugged and ignored the frosty glare that Weiss gave him. "But, the reason I and anyone on my team didn't tell you was simply because it wasn't my call. Bell hadn't decided to trust you with that secret yet, and with how you interact with Kurama, could you blame her?"

Weiss pursed her lips but continued to glare at Naruto. She huffed and stormed off, a mildly miffed Ruby behind her.

Yang's smile fell slightly and she crossed her arms under her bust. "I can't believe she didn't tell us..."

"We all have our secrets to keep, Yang." Haku mused. Yang nodded sadly and walked off after her other two teammates, giving Naruto and Haku a half-hearted goodbye wave. Haku blinked and looked around curiously as he realized something was off. "Where did Penny go?"

"She ran off after Bell when I started to talk about Sneeze's diary," Naruto said nonchalantly, his hands behind his head as he looked up to the corner of a building and gave a small smirk as a golden tail ducked over the edge. He turned and started to walk towards main street. "Come on, Haku, we need to go find Kurama and Sasuke."

"...Did you intentionally let Penny slip away when you made up that story about reading Weiss' diary?" Haku asked as he followed his teammate.

"Story? Please, Haku, I've read _all_ the girls' diaries. Did you know Nora is actually allergic to dogs?"

"...Naruto, why did you read their diaries?"

"Meh, for the hell of it."

"...Kurama wanted dirt, didn't he?" Haku drawled. Their Faunus friend was a _huge_ gossip and loved to broker information. He truly took to the fox heritage of a cruel trickster well.

"Those are your words, not mine. Now, c'mon, let's go find the two jackasses. Knowing them, they're probably at an arcade or something."

* * *

 **AN: So, we've come to the end of Volume One, in the next volume things will start to splinter off from the RWBY canon and more figures from Naruto will make their appearance.**

 **REVANON!**


	8. Roman's Fangs

**EDIT 9/23/15**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **VIII: Roman's Fangs**

* * *

A few days had passed since Blake had gone 'missing'. The first day no progress was made in finding her because Ruby, Yang and Weiss were still shocked at the revelation of their teammate being a secret Faunus and ex-White Fang member. And the second day was due to the lack of progress made on the first. Team JNPR offered to help with the search, but Weiss had refused them before Ruby could accept, and when Naruto, Sasuke, Kurama or Haku tried to offer their help, they were met with possibly the coldest shoulder ever.

The Schnee heiress had all but ignored Team NHKS since they had known Blake's secret, but had not told any of them. She felt it was a betrayal of sorts, even when Haku pointed out that the secret was Blake's to tell and not theirs. Weiss stubbornly refused to accept that as an answer and had all but began to pretend the all male team even existed. Her guard was high after Blake's secret of once being a member of the White Fang. It seemed that she hadn't taken the violation of her trust very well, which was something that Sasuke said he could understand.

The other two members of Team RWBY hadn't spoken with the all-male team much either, save for at the Lunch Hall. Ruby's excuse was a bit understandable, since the youngest Huntress-in-training was more concerned with locating her wayward teammate. She had apologized for it and Naruto took it for what it was. He understood what the problem was for Ruby; her pride and confidence as a leader had taken a hard blow. Not only was she a good two years behind everyone in her class intellectually, but she was also lacking two years of experience and emotional maturity.

Yang was also a bit miffed at the boys for the secret, but she was being distant for some other reason. When asked by Sasuke, Kurama or Haku, Yang refused to give a straight answer. When Naruto asked, she would remain silent and ignore him. However, when they were in the same room, Naruto felt an angry gaze fall upon him. Seeing as he couldn't get an answer through Yang directly or through his teammates' attempts, Naruto just gave up on it and settled with taking the odd angry looks his fellow blond sent his way.

"There must be something we can do to help them," Haku said thoughtfully from where he was perched on the edge of a tall building. He and the rest of Team NHKS watched the three girls wander through Vale looking for the now known cat Faunus. Team NHKS had been following the three girls from a distance under Naruto's orders. The whiskered blond had a secretive smile when asked why and merely replied that he was bored. Besides, Weiss didn't want help, so pushing on the issue wouldn't be wise at all.

"I can sense her so I know she's alive, but this is a problem for Team RWBY to address." Kurama sat cross-legged to Haku's left, his cheek propped up by a bored fist. The Faunus adjusted his grip on Rikudo's monk staff form. "Schnee would rip our heads off if we tried to go help without permission."

"Others cannot fix a broken team." Sasuke mused from where he stood next to the red-themed Faunus. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes stared down at the three girls. "It is something that must be done by the team itself. The most we can do is guide them down the right path."

Haku sighed at the profound answer. "Sometimes I wish I had gone to Kon Academy. The team preparation there must have been amazing."

He looked to his left in surprise when the lounging form of his team leader burst into laughter. A chuckle escaped Sasuke and Kurama concealed his laughter as best he could while his shoulders shook. Looking between his three teammates, Haku blinked.

"Am I mistaken?" he asked.

"Yeah...It...You had to be there." Sasuke smiled lightly as their amusement dwindled away. "If anything, it was Kakashi who taught us the right way to work as a team."

"Best. Teacher. Ever." Naruto grinned up at the sky and Kurama nodded.

"'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are _worse_ than trash.'" The three Kon natives grinned as they recited one of their teacher's most well-known, and recited, quotes.

"By that logic, wouldn't that make Blake worse than trash?" Haku asked. It was a beautiful line, really it was, but the philosophy didn't seem to fit the scenario.

"She has not abandoned her team." Kurama explained as he sat up lightly. "She's afraid, and most Faunus react to fear instinctually. Prejudice among her friends isn't a foe she can fight, so she fell upon fear. She ran, and being the good friends they are, Ruby, Yang and, I can't believe I'm saying this, even Weiss is chasing her."

"They're reacting the same way we would if you decided to up and disappear on us," Sasuke said with a small smirk to Haku. "You can thank Kakashi for that if you meet him."

"Like I said, Kakashi's the best teacher ever." Naruto reiterated.

"I thought that was the Toad Sage?" Haku asked. Naruto shook his head with a smile plastered on his face.

"No, he's my godfather. He just happened to train me on the side."

"In what?" Haku asked. The whiskered blond's smile dwindled slightly.

"...Stuff."

"You three are the most secretive friends I've ever had," Haku said with a sigh while Kurama and Sasuke smirked at his response. He had little to go by on their history and it felt like he was still putting the puzzle together one misshapen piece at a time. When Haku thought he had the whole picture, they went and threw a new piece into the mix.

"Not like you've been that open with your past," Sasuke said knowingly. Haku's shoulders fell.

"My past is where I would like to keep it, in the past." He muttered. Haku looked up when Naruto's hand fell on his shoulder and the whiskered teen smiled at him.

"And we respect your decision. There will be a time when you wish to tell us, and we will be more than willing to listen." Naruto reaffirmed his words with a comforting pat and Haku smiled at his partner.

"You're a good friend, Naruto." Naruto beamed at the compliment, but it fell into a pout when Haku sighed. "It's a shame you're such an idiot."

"Oi!" Naruto pulled his hand away and glared at his partner.

"Indeed it is," Kurama said. He gave a sad sigh of his own despite the giant grin on his face. "In the field, he's either battle crazy or tactically unstoppable, but take him out of the field and his brain power drains to zero, leaving him stupid."

Naruto's eye twitched. "I'm _not_ stupid!"

"Even Coco can't stop that from happening." Sasuke gave a wistful sigh and placed his hand on his cheek. "Try as she might. Poor boy will never get himself a girlfriend at this rate."

"I've had a girlfriend, dammit!"

"It's so sad. All talk and no walk." Kurama shook his head. Naruto glared at his teammates.

"You're ignoring me on purpose..."

Haku looked at Sasuke with a small smile. "If only I had been partnered with you, Sasuke. Then I would not be forced to listen to him prattle on about various flavors of Ramen."

"We feel your pain." Kurama sympathized with a pat on the shoulder.

Sasuke shook his head. "It's gotta be all that salt that makes him so stupid."

"Oh, that tears it! Oum's blessed Ramen is not to be insulted in my presence!" Naruto started to storm away while the three laughed. The blond grumbled furiously under his breath as he jumped down into a nearby alleyway. Kurama wiped a small tear from underneath his sunglasses once their team leader was gone.

"Ah, that was fun." He sighed happily. "So, since the glutton isn't here, does anyone want to go get a bowl? My treat."

"I'm in," Sasuke said. He rubbed his stomach. "We've been following the girls since breakfast. I'm starved."

"I suppose a bowl wouldn't hurt." Haku shrugged. The three left the remnants of RWBY to their search as they sought out their lunch.

* * *

"Okay, so, while we agreed to go look at the place where the White Fang aren't supposed to be to prove they're doing things they aren't supposed to do in a different place they're not supposed to be...Ugh, my head hurts." Sun groaned after he finished that mouthful. He held his stomach. "Or that's just the tea I drank earlier settling. Anyway, I know we're supposed to be like, super sexy Faunus duo, but-"

"We're not a super sexy Faunus duo." Blake cut in calmly as they walked through the city towards the warehouse district. She had poured her heart out to Sun after he had stalked her for a day and a half. Even after he'd learned about her past and involvement with the "crazy Faunus", he'd agreed to help her try to clear their name. Frankly, she thought he was a sweet guy. A bit eccentric, but concerning who her teammates and friends were, she could accept it.

And... he had nice abs. But that was just a bonus. Really.

Sun pouted at her before he sighed.

"Right, right, okay." He conceded. Anyway...I may have...sort of...told-Naruto-what-we-were-planning."

Blake stopped walking and glared at the blond Faunus.

"You _what_?"

"I...Told Naruto our plan?" Sun rubbed the back of his neck. Blake glared at him even harder and he held his hands up in defense. "Now hear me out. The little dude's known you were with me the whole time. He's got this...brain thing that rears its ugly head every now and again. Plus, he's a _beast_ on a battlefield if his messages to me about his Semblance are right."

Blake had to concede to that point. Naruto did manage to hold off that massive Grimm Bull on his own during their initiation, and had been undefeated in every mock fight that he participated in among the first year Beacon students. That alone had to mean something. Then there was his stance on the White Fang, which fell alongside with Blake's own. Naruto didn't hold the White Fang in contempt like Weiss did (though looking back on it, Weiss' anger was understandable), he thought they needed to be redirected even if that meant using force.

"Not to mention he's a great dude and I've been _dying_ to hang out with him." Sun added. He grinned widely and held his arms out. "What better way to bond with a bro than by investigating a warehouse district?"

"...Fine." Blake agreed after a moment of thought. Naruto _was_ Sun's friend long before either had met Blake and they'd barely managed to hang out or talk since they met on the docks. It was only natural that Sun would want to meet up with his pen pal over hanging out with her. Blake ignored the mild discomfort in her stomach as that logical reasoning went through her head.

"Really?! Awesome!" Sun cheered with his fists in the air. He grinned at his fellow Faunus. "Trust me, Blake, this'll be a good thing."

"I sure hope so." Blake mumbled. She turned to continue walking and jumped when Naruto suddenly popped up in front of her.

"Yo!" The whiskered blond greeted the two Faunus with a two-fingered salute. Blake looked at him, then at an equally surprised, but intrigued Sun, and then back at with a frown.

"How did you sneak up on us like that?" She asked. Naruto fell into an exaggerated martial arts stance.

"I am a ninja! Fear my ninja-tude!" The whiskered blond declared, a mad grin on his face.

"...I'm going to regret agreeing to this." Blake mumbled as she walked past the blond human. Sun snickered while Naruto pouted. The monkey-tailed Faunus looked at his fellow blond with an arched brow and an amused smile.

"Ninja-tude?"

"You're just jealous you didn't come up with it first!" Naruto argued with a huff as he followed after Blake.

"...Only a little," Sun said with a chuckle. He let his hands rest behind his head and his tail swished happily as he followed the two Beacon students. One was his longtime pen pal and the other was a cute Faunus girl.

Life was good for Sun Wukong.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm so _bored_. I should've gone with Sun to get some food." Naruto groaned as he hung by the back of his knees from the neck of a crane while Sun and Blake staked out the shipyard from atop a nearby warehouse. They'd been at the shipyard for nearly six hours now and aside from the usual boring – to Naruto and Sun anyway – things that occurred on site, nothing much including criminal acts had happened. Heck, Naruto had even enough time to scale this eighty-foot tall shipping crane after Sun had scampered off to get some food.

Naruto perked up at the sound of a Bullhead engine and looked to his left. Sure enough, there was a Bullhead with the symbol of the White Fang on the cargo doors. Naruto swung up to stand on the crane's neck and looked over apologetically towards Blake and Sun. From what he could see, Blake was not pleased with this development and Sun, well, he looked ready to jump down and put a stop to the operation.

Five White Fang grunts, dressed in black and white armor with Creatures of Grimm masks on their faces underneath their helmets, stepped out of the Bullhead after it landed. They looked around and searched for any threats and just before Naruto was spotted by one, the end of a cigar flew out from the Bullhead's doorway and hit the disguised Faunus in the side of the head.

"Stop wasting time, you animals! We have a very strict schedule to keep!" A man stepped out of the Bullhead with orange hair combed over the right side of his face and a bowler cap on his head. He wore a white coat and dark pants, but it was the cane that really sealed the deal.

 _That's that Torchwick guy that's been all over the news._ Naruto mused silently as his eyes narrowed. He blinked in surprise when Blake jumped down and rushed at the wanted fugitive. Naruto locked eyes with Sun, who shrugged at the questioning glance sent his way. The two blonds looked back up as more Bullheads flew into the area.

"Oh, this will be fun!" Naruto grinned as he stood and faced the incoming forces. He clenched his hands into fists and slammed them together. The bulky forms of his gauntlets folded out over his hands and Naruto grinned. With his Storm Breakers ready, Naruto brought his arms to his sides and his skin gained a light golden glow as his Semblance drew upon more aura. "Five times boost should be enough. Time to crack some skulls!"

Naruto ran across the neck of the crane at the nearest Bullhead when its guns took aim down at Blake, who was in the process of fighting against Torchwick while Sun fought off the thief's goons. Once he reached the end of the crane's neck, Naruto jumped and pulled his right fist back. His grin was wide as he threw his punch and drove his fist into the hull of the nearest bullhead. His blow caved the metal in, a loud ear shattering squeal filled the air as the metal protested against his strike. Naruto's attack knocked the Bullhead into another, causing the two to collide and descend to the shipyard.

Naruto landed on a container below and watched as the two Bullheads crashed to the shipyard's ground in a fiery explosion. Naruto giggled gleefully while he watched the fires burn.

"Explosions are so cool. Boom-boom." He let his gauntlets fold away with a grin on his face.

"Get him!" Naruto looked over his shoulder at the cry. Several White Fang grunts aimed their automatic weapons at him, each nameless opponent had the same determined scowl on their face. Naruto held his hands up to shield his face when they started to open fire. The bullets tore through his clothes like a knife through butter, but bounced off of his skin like it was a wall. He would've laughed if it wasn't so annoying to be pelted over and over by the small ammunition. It was like being attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes!

By the time the grunts had run out of rounds in their clips, Naruto's jacket was ruined. The armor was either fractured beyond repair or chock full of bullets and the cloth was torn beyond the abilities of any tailor. He was pretty much wearing orange and black rags from the waist up. The bullets themselves looked like they had been fired at a wall of adamantium, caved inwards to the point that they looked like they were crafted incorrectly, and were piled around his feet nearly to his ankles.

"...You guys are _so_ lucky that I have four more of these jackets." Naruto glowered at the four awestruck White Fang grunts. He dropped down from his place atop the container and landed in front of the grunts, a perturbed look on his face. He reached up and removed his necklace, carefully bundling it up before he placed the rings in a special slot on the heel of his boot. With his parents' rings safe from danger, Naruto then stood up and cracked his knuckles.

"So," he said as his eyes looked over his four opponents. "Who wants to take the next shot?"

The four exchanged looks before the one on the far left, furthest from Naruto, lifted his gun. A bullet left the barrel and nailed Naruto right in the forehead. Naruto's head tilted back slightly before he reached up and grabbed the bullet off of his forehead. Like the last attempts, this bullet was no longer of use to anyone. Naruto flicked it to the side and fixed his gaze on the one that shot at him.

"Look at that," he said, a grin plastered on his face while he stared at the awestruck grunt. "We have a volunteer."

Naruto quickly closed the distance between himself and the White Fang grunt that tried to shoot him in the head. He knocked the poor sod into the air with a single blow. The whiskered huntsman's hands lashed out and grabbed onto the grunt's ankle. He then turned and flung the winded Faunus at one of his companions. This sent the two extremists into the side of the container that Naruto previously stood on and they slumped down to the ground unconscious.

The other two Faunus exchanged a look with each other. They grabbed the underside of their guns and pulled back on the grip. Naruto arched a brow when the duo of extremists were now armed with five feet-long broadswords that had the symbol of the White Fang carved into the side. They let out yells as they charged at Naruto with their swords over their heads.

Naruto caught their attacks on the descent and he grinned when the two saw that the sharp edges of their blades did nothing to his palms' flesh.

"In hindsight, you probably should've thought this through," Naruto said to the two White Fang members. He twisted his wrists and snapped the blades with ease. Naruto then grabbed a wrist of either Faunus. He twisted under his arms so that they collided with each other, their hands still in his grip. He then leapt up and over the two awkwardly hugging Faunus. When his feet touched the ground, his arms whipped the White Fang Grunts at the rising Grunts that either Sun or Blake had dealt with. The Grunts collided with wet thuds and went limp.

The thought of his two Faunus friends had Naruto turning around to locate them. Once he did, he watched them tag off with one another against Torchwick, doing an impressive job complimenting and covering each other. He blinked when a black shade appeared in a place where Blake once was and took a blow that was meant for her. It was similar to Blake in build and appearance, but more inky, like a dark shadow.

"Whoa, cool Semblance." Naruto grinned when he saw that Torchwick visibly became frustrated at his inability to tell which black figure was the real one to strike. This forced the thief to remain on defense lest Blake's furious attack strategy got through.

"Shadow clones, wish I had that ability. So many pranks could be done." Naruto wistfully dreamt of the ability to make a clone of himself. Heck, why just make one when he could have a dozen? Or a hundred? Maybe even a thousand? Or two!?

Those thoughts led to less than appropriate ones concerning acts of reproduction. A dopey grin quickly spread across Naruto's face.

* * *

Elsewhere, a tall white-haired man got busted for peeping in a women's locker room when he started to boisterously cry tears of joy. While he suffered the blows empowered by the wrath of righteous feminine fury, he could only smile proudly. When he was finally kicked out of the gym, the man limped over to the nearest park bench, sat down and grinned up at the sky.

 _I'm so proud of you, Naruto. Truly, only a lecherous dream could've made me feel such pride!_

The man giggled pervertedly and pulled out a notebook. He wrote in it eagerly as the pride he felt inspired a new scene. He would then be arrested for his public debauchery. The officers that arrested him were unnerved by his smile and his penchant for the occasional giggle. They were outright floored when the district attorney demanded he be released and all charges be dropped a few hours later.

The district attorney would receive a limited edition of Ninjas of Love in the mail three weeks later, signed by the author, The Toad Sage.

* * *

Naruto shook his head to snap out of the pleasant daydream his godfather would applaud him for. There was time for that sort of thinking later!

There was fight to be won now!

His head clear, Naruto looked back at the fight between Torchwick, Blake and Sun. The two Faunus had the master thief on the ropes, and it looked like Torchwick was aware of it. Torchwick backed away to create distance between himself and the teens. His cane rose up and the end popped open.

Naruto frowned and followed Torchwick's aim. His eyes went wide when he saw the shipping container that dangled above Blake and Sun's heads. One good shot was all it would take to snap the cable that kept the container suspended in the air, and it looked like Torchwick was counting on that to be the case. With this in mind, Naruto ran forward towards his friends when he realized the criminal's intention. As he neared his two Faunus allies, a few White Fang Grunts rose in front of him.

Naruto, thinking on the fly of how to quickly deal with these peons without losing his momentum, clapped his hands together at his side. He let his arm swing out and put the three White Fang Grunts down for the night with a three-in-a-row clothesline. He used the momentum of his arm's swing to spin down, allowing him to slide on his knees to kneel between Blake and Sun.

"Dodge this, freaks." Torchwick growled as he fired a bright red blast from his cane to take out the cable. The two Faunus dove out of the way of the falling container while Naruto stayed put and rose to his feet. He brought his arms up and managed to catch the oversized metal box before it crushed him. The whiskered blond grinned at the shocked criminal, whose awe was shared by Naruto's two friends.

"Hey Torchwick!" Naruto called while he slightly adjusted his grip on the container.

"No way..." The thief gaped at the sight of the glowing teenager holding the massive amount of steel over his head with ease. He swore that this sort of thing only happened in movies or books. Huntsmen and Huntresses – school kids especially! – were not supposed to be _this_ freaking weird!

"I think you dropped something!" Naruto reared his arms back and then tossed the shipping container with a yell. "Here!"

"Shit!" Torchwick exclaimed as he dove out of the way. The container loudly crashed into the ground where Torchwick once stood and broke the cement beneath it on the impact. Torchwick rolled out of his dive and used his cane to block a follow-up attack from one of Sun's nunchaku – whether it was Ruyi Bang or Jingu Bang, Naruto wasn't sure. Torchwick tilted his head to avoid the following blast that came from Sun's weapon and knocked the monkey-like Faunus to the side with a hard swing of his cane. The thief got to his feet and reached into his pocket to pull out a small device.

"You stupid, filthy bastard excuse of a house pet! Get your ass over here and help me! I have a few strays that need to be put down!" Torchwick snarled into the communication device. He pocketed it and lifted his cane to catch both Blake's sword and bladed sheath when she tried to get a sneak attack on him.

"Nice try, kitty-cat, but you should've walked away when you had a chance." Torchwick smirked at the glaring girl.

"Never." Blake growled as Sun rushed up from behind her to deliver a flying kick to Torchwick's chest. The criminal stumbled back, but quickly recovered and dodged Naruto's descending stomp that managed to leave cracks in the ground.

"Blake!"

The cry from a familiar voice made the four combatants turn to see Ruby standing on the roof of the warehouse Blake and Sun were perched on earlier. Blake's eyes grew wide in surprise and concern.

"Ruby?" she asked. Sun and Naruto exchanged quick looks before they returned their attention to Torchwick.

"Oh, hey Red!" Torchwick called with a smirk on his face. "Aren't you out past your bedtime?"

Ruby was distracted by something behind her, so she failed to see Torchwick raise his cane and fire off a large blast from his cane. The shot hit the young team leader and the criminal let out a gleeful cackle. Naruto was concerned for both Ruby and, oddly enough, a little bit for Torchwick. The thief had taken a bit too much joy in making that shot. Something had snapped and part of Naruto wanted to know what.

"Ruby!" Blake cried out. Her amber eyes slit and she leapt at Torchwick with a murderous gleam in her eyes. She was going to carve the criminal's innards out with her bare claws if needed. Dirty blows like that were part of the reason Blake had left the White Fang. While Sun charged in to back Blake up, Naruto turned towards the ocean as three more Bullheads made their way towards the shipyard.

"Oh, come on!" Naruto groaned when the doors opened to reveal more White Fang Grunts armed to the teeth. They dropped down from the Bullheads and started to fire at the three teens. Blake and Sun were forced to seek cover and Naruto ignored the bullets pelting his body as he turned to a nearby container. He grabbed onto the metal doors. The doors let out an ear-piercing squeal as he ripped them off their hinges. Naruto used the container doors as makeshift shields from the bullets while he made his way over to Sun and Blake's position behind a concrete barrier.

"Some metal shield for ze lovely couple? Compliment of ze ouse for a wonderful first night out," Naruto said as he drove the metal doors into the ground so they would not fall. Blake gave him a look of mild annoyance, but said nothing as the warped metal protected them from the hail of bullets while Sun grinned and gave him a thumbs' up in gratitude.

Any other words that were about to come out of their mouths died on the tips of their tongues as Penny, the strange girl they'd met a few days ago, dropped down with blades hovering behind her back. She used the blades to decimate the forces of the White Fang with ease. They watched Penny plow through what had to be at least thirty Grunts lined up and firing at her. The ginger haired girl ignored their bullets and continued to utterly thrash the Faunus.

Their jaws dropped when the orange haired girl used two blades to pull herself back to the warehouse. The blades imbedded in the warehouse wall acted as anchors while the rest of Penny's weapons began to circle rapidly in front of her extended palms. A green orb about the size of a medicine ball grew between the circling swords and Penny pulled her fists back. Her eyes narrowed as she thrust her fists forward and green orb became a massive green beam at two of the Bullheads. One was sliced down middle and exploded midair while the other lost a wing and impacted with the ground.

The last Bullhead turned to flee, but it looked like Penny wasn't in the mood to let them run. Penny 'threw' her swords at the retreating Bullhead, where they impaled the hull with ease. Penny wrapped her hands around something, and under a closer look, Naruto saw wires. The oddball girl he'd met a few days prior yanked on the wires hard. The Bullhead was pulled down from the air and skid along the ground. Penny recalled her swords and smiled proudly as the Bullhead exploded in a blaze of fire.

"...Whoa." Sun's awe was shared by both Naruto and Blake as the three stared wide-eyed at the girl. She didn't even look tired!

"I like her." Naruto grinned as the Bullhead exploded on impact. He kicked the two metal doors down and scowled when he saw Torchwick climb onto another Bullhead that quickly flew off.

"Damn, there he goes-" Naruto cut off as a loud bang drew his attention away from Torchwick's retreat.

A shipping container flew at Penny and the girl raised her hands to stop it. She was carried off when the container's momentum won out - though she made an impressive indent in the metal box in her effort - and the three teens were forced to duck lest the container take their heads off as it flew past. The shipping container and Penny were driven through the warehouse wall, creating a large cloud of smoke as they did as well as a loud crash. Naruto, Sun and Blake rushed from their cover over to Penny when she climbed out of the hole and dusted herself off. Ruby dropped down from above and looked her friend over.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, turning her new friend this way and that.

"Don't worry, Ruby. I told you before, I'm combat ready!" Penny smiled widely at the girl. She hiccuped and covered her mouth with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Still, what the heck caused that – Incoming!" Sun cried out as he tackled Blake to the side when he noticed another container flying at them. Ruby did the same for Penny while Naruto ran at the approaching container. He ducked his head down and brought his arms up over his face as he intercepted the flying metal box with a rough shoulder check. The container caved inwards with a loud screech when it collided with Naruto's slightly glowing body and dropped to the ground as it was immediately stopped.

"Okay...that smarted..." Naruto grunted as he pulled himself from the caved in shipping container. He hopped onto it and glared at the person that was approaching them from the direction that the containers had come from.

It was a man that easily stood at a whopping six and a half feet. The man was built like a freaking tanker, his bare chest easily three times as wide as Naruto. Muscles rippled with each step he took. His hair was a wild and long dark brown that cascaded out from his head like a lion's mane and his eyes were crazed gold. Tattooed into his massive left pectoral was the insignia for the White Fang.

"Belladonna!" The man's voice called out and echoed through the night. "You've been a bad kitty!"

Eyes turned to Blake, who had a horrified gaze locked on the newcomer.

"Blake? Who is this guy?" Ruby asked softly as she prepared Crescent Rose for a fight. Likewise, Sun brought Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang together in their pole form while Penny twitched when she tried to get up. Ruby pushed the girl back down with a frown. "Penny, stay put."

"B-But I am combat ready!" The orange haired girl protested. She hiccuped again.

"You were just attacked by a shipping container, you can sit this one out, kiddo," Sun said to her before he looked at Blake. "So...I take it this guy was someone you were close to in the Fang?"

"Not even in the slightest." Blake had a sour look on her face at the thought. She drew her weapons and glared at the smirking Faunus that approached them. "His name is Shinnō and he's the White Fang's enforcer."

"I'm the second lieutenant now," Shinnō said proudly. He lifted his knuckles up and cracked them. "And guess what? Boss man doesn't want you back anymore, since you've become such a human lover and betrayed him on the train. You're officially free game, and I've been dying to pound another pussy."

Blake glared at him and lifted her blade. Sun and Ruby stepped up beside her with their weapons at the ready. Naruto jumped down and landed in front of the man before he could take another step.

"You're not hurting my friends." Naruto informed the giant. Shinnō's head flew back and he barked out a laugh.

"How adorable, you left us and found yourself some meat shields!" Shinnō smirked at Blake and raised his hand over his shoulder. The hand balled up and swung out. Naruto's head was snapped to the side and he was sent flying back. He made a matching hole next to the one Penny had made moments before. The smoke from Naruto's impact with the warehouse wall cleared and a brick fell to the ground.

A beat of silence passed before Ruby nervously looked to a pale Blake.

"Um, so, what can he do?"

"He can increase his strength to five times above average." Blake swallowed and clenched her sheath and katana, Gambol Shroud, tightly. But could you blame her? She knew Shinnō was strong, but to see him backhand the class powerhouse through a building was a bit nerve wracking.

"Ten." Shinnō's smile rose as he vanished in a blur and reappeared in front of the three teens. "It's _ten_ times now. I divert my aura throughout my body to increase the strength of every cell within. I run faster, jump higher, and, most importantly, hit _harder_."

"Get away from my friend!" Penny called out as she sent one of her blades at the Faunus enforcer's head. Shinnō lifted his hand up and caught the blade before it could make contact with his skin.

"Cute." Shinnō crushed the metal in his hand and let it drop to the ground. He tilted his head to the side when Sun hit him with his staff. Shinnō looked the monkey-tailed boy over and grinned at him. "Well, well, well...you move on so fast, Belladonna. I never thought of you as a loose pussy."

"Don't talk about my friend that way!" Ruby cried out as she swung the blunt end of her scythe at the massive Faunus. Shinnō's head turned sideways as he had yet to move Sun's staff from his head. His grin was still present and a chuckle escaped his lips.

"All so eager to get killed!" Shinnō grabbed the pole-like weapons and yanked them in, causing the two wielding the weapons to be brought close together. Shinnō released their weapons and grabbed them by their heads before he slammed the two into the ground with a smile on his face. The smile left his face as a cut appeared on his cheek from Blake's sword. Shinnō reached out and grabbed Blake by her throat before he lifted her off the ground. Blake's eyes went wide as the small nick healed.

"I was going to enjoy you before I killed you, but it seems like doing so would be a hazard for my health." Shinnō tightened his grip on Blake's throat and her hands clutched at his fingers, her weapons clattered on the ground as she struggled for air.

"I told you that you're _not_ hurting _my_ friends!"

Shinnō arched one of his massive eyebrows up when a glow came from the hole that he'd sent the whiskered teen through moments before. A new hole was made directly in front of him when the boy burst through the warehouse's wall and his right fist barreled into Shinnō's cheek. The blow sent Shinnō flying through many shipping containers like they were made of sticks and twigs instead of steel.

Freed from Shinnō's unbelievably tight grasp, Blake fell to the ground and Naruto landed beside her.

Blake coughed harshly and gasped for air once she pushed herself to her hands and knees. With watery eyes, caused by all sorts of factors, Blake looked up at Naruto gratefully and few differences to his appearance. A thin, faint red line of blood poured from the right corner of his mouth to the end of his jaw, but that was the only sign that Naruto had taken any damage. Well, the blood was all she could make out due to the contrast the color had with his definitely glowing golden skin. It wasn't a light hue like before, and instead was like a full blown beacon of golden light. Naruto's eyes, now a blinding gold instead of deep blue, met her amber orbs.

"Are you alright, Bell?"

Blake coughed once more and nodded while she rubbed her throat.

"Good." Naruto gave her a small smile. It would've made her blush if not for the fact Blake was still trying to breathe properly. That and the small trail of blood was a bit off putting. Naruto looked back to where he launched Shinnō and his smile fell while his eyes flashed.

"Keep the others back. It's been a while since I've fought someone who could make me bleed."

Before Blake could ask what he meant, Naruto pushed down on one foot and shot forward. The ground he drove his foot into had crumpled and formed a small crater. Blake stared at it for a moment with her hand still around her neck. What the heck kind of Semblance did _that_?

A moment later, Haku appeared beside her in one of his mirrors. He helped Ruby sit up while Kurama and Sasuke dropped down from the roof of the warehouse. Sasuke assisted Sun and Kurama went over to pick up Penny.

"Wow, kid, what's got you so stiff?" Kurama asked as he picked the girl up.

Penny tilted her head. "I believe that I am running at sixty-three percent efficiency after Ruby tackled me to the ground."

"...Uh-huh..." Kurama mumbled before he carried her over to rest by the others.

"Ruby has a small concussion and Sun managed to flare his aura before he hit the ground," Haku said as he looked up from where he knelt at Blake's side to check her throat. He smiled at the cat Faunus. "You certainly didn't want to make not worrying about you easy, did you?"

Blake looked down in slight shame. The injuries her friends suffered all could have been avoided if she hadn't run away like that. She looked up when Sun put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a grin.

"He was joking, Blake." Sun chuckled. He looked towards the direction that Naruto had run off. "Will the little dude be alright?"

"Like he said, it's been a while since he's fought someone that could make him bleed when he was using the Will of Fire." Sasuke shook his head. "Kakashi would have him doing D-ranks for months."

"Oh yeah." Kurama agreed with a nod.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked with a hoarse voice. "What's a Will of Fire? How did you know-?"

"That you were here? I felt a surge of Aura over this way." Kurama cut in quickly while he checked Penny's aura. He gave the ginger girl a strange look and hummed thoughtfully. "You're a strange girl, kid."

"Is that bad?" Penny asked.

"...No, just different."

"Naruto's Semblance," Haku said as he reached into his sash and pulled out a small canteen. "Here, drink some water, it will help soothe the soreness in your throat."

Blake took a drink and then looked over towards the two fighting beings. "What does his semblance have to do with anything?"

"Naruto's Semblance, dubbed the Will of Fire, is powered by Naruto's will. His Aura reserves are nearly as endless as my own," Kurama said. "We have abnormally large reserves and as such, our Semblance are very unique. My Sensory is nearly unmatched and Transfer makes me a deadly opponent, since I can drain someone's reserves to absolutely nothing. Naruto's Will of Fire, however, well...I'd rather have to fight myself than fight him."

* * *

"You got in a lucky shot." Shinnō snarled as he caught Naruto's punch in his hand. He pulled the boy in and drilled his knee into Naruto's gut. The whiskered teen gasped and stumbled back, his defense down as he tried to regain air. Naruto took a punch to the head that sent him tumbling along the ground before he started to rise. He was currently fighting with eight times his normal strength and durability, but Shinnō's dense cells were hard to keep damaged. Every counter that the Faunus got in gave him time to heal from a blow Naruto had dealt.

At least now Naruto knew why his classmates felt so annoyed or irritated when they sparred with him.

Well, that combined with the pranks he pulled on them usually caused them irritation anyway.

"This is pointless, boy! You got in one good shot, but you can't win," Shinnō said as he glared at the whiskered brat that had dared to defy him. The lion-like Faunus spread his arms. "I am the perfect warrior! You cannot defeat me."

"Maybe not...But I won't stop...until I know my friends are safe..." Naruto grit out as he held his cracked – if not broken – ribs and glared at Shinnō's golden eyes with his own. He grit his teeth and let out a yell as he charged at the Faunus with his hand brought back.

Shinnō shook his head and delivered a barrage of blows to the blond, finished with a roundhouse kick that sent Naruto soaring through a shipping container. Shinnō lowered his leg and walked over to the boy as he started to get up. With a snarl, Shinnō lifted a foot up and slammed it down into Naruto's back.

"I will kill you, boy. It is in your best interest to stay down." Shinnō warned the young teen. "I will make it quick and painless if you do."

Naruto grit his teeth and pushed himself up despite the weight on his back. Shinnō smirked and punted Naruto in the side, knocking him into a container. As Naruto stumbled off, Shinnō appeared before him and grabbed the boy by his throat.

"I am only here for Belladonna, and as far as we know, she isn't even on your team. Why do you fight so hard for a criminal that isn't on your team?" Shinnō asked out of genuine curiosity.

"B-Because...She's my friend..." Naruto grit out as he glared through one eye at the Faunus. His eyes squeezed shut as Shinnō lifted him up and drove him head first into the ground.

"Then, you are a fool!" Shinnō exclaimed as he grabbed the boy by his ankle and whipped him over at another container. The metal creaked in protest as it folded inward from Naruto being thrown into it. Shinnō smirked and, figuring that was enough, turned to walk back over to his intended target.

The sound of metal creaking accompanied the groan of a young man made Shinnō stop and look back to see Naruto push himself from the container and land on the ground. The whiskered blond rose from the ground shakily and limped towards Shinnō with a determined glint in his golden eyes. His hair started to flicker and blow in a non-existent wind as it started to glow with aura.

"Leave...my friends...alone..." Naruto grunted out as he limped towards the Faunus.

"You stupid boy. I was willing to let you live, but you leave me no choice." Shinnō shook his head as he walked back towards Naruto and flicked his fingers out, allowing claws to extend over his fingernails. He stood in front of Naruto, grinned and straightened his hand before he pulled it back.

"Now do something useful and die so I can go kill those other brats!"

The clawed hand was thrust forward like a missile.

Naruto's left hand shot up and caught Shinnō's wrist in a vice-like grip.

The whiskered blond's hair burned with aura and his eyes flew open.

The ocular organs were a solid gold that glared at the shocked Shinnō's cat-like eyes.

Naruto's hand tightened and Shinnō's wrist snapped. Shinnō roared with pain and threw a punch with his other hand. Naruto caught the attack and squeezed. A sickening crunch filled the air as he broke the Faunus' hand. Shinnō dropped to his knees as he let out another pain-filled bellow. Naruto released the useless hands and stepped back while Shinnō shuddered with anger and pain.

"You little brat...I'll _kill_ you!" Shinnō snarled, his eyes slitted as he got back to his feet. His hands slowly flexed and his eyes winced as he tried to form a fist.

Naruto avoided the overhand chop and drove his elbow into Shinnō's side. Ribs cracked and Shinnō let out another roar of pain. Naruto ignored the Faunus' pain as he dropped to a knee and imbedded his fist into Shinnō's gut. The golden Huntsman-in-training felt no sympathy or pity for the one that threatened and harmed his friends.

All he felt was vindication in his actions and a desire - no, a _need_ to be as ruthless as possible. This was a point Naruto needed to drive home here and now.

The whiskered blond pulled his fist back as his beefcake of an opponent doubled over. Naruto dropped to his back and his fist flew up to strike the Faunus hard in the chin. Shinnō's head snapped back and a tooth flew out of his mouth. Shinnō's right leg planted itself firmly in the ground so that he wouldn't go flying.

The Faunus looked down just in time to see Naruto spin from his back into a low sweep that would've knocked him off of his feet. Shinnō jumped up over the sweep kick and smirked. The smirk fell into a look of shock when Naruto quickly twisted around on his hands and delivered a powerful mule kick that sent Shinnō into the air like a rocket.

Naruto twisted back to his feet and then jumped up after the Faunus. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he brought his right fist down.

"Up!"

Naruto's right fist struck Shinnō's stomach, launching the Faunus into the clouds.

" _Up_!"

The left fist replaced the right as Shinnō doubled over and coughed up blood.

"Down!"

A punch to the back of the head made Shinnō spin in the air and start to descend.

" _Down_!"

Another downward punch sent Shinnō back towards Vale, Naruto descended after him and brought his left fist back.

"Left!"

Shinnō's head turned to the left as a punch struck him in the cheek.

"Right!"

Shinnō's head turned right and a canine flew out of his mouth.

"Left!"

Three teeth were forcibly removed as they neared the ground.

"Right!"

Naruto dislocated the Faunus' jaw.

"Backhand!"

Shinnō started to spin as he descended towards the ground.

"And...Hammer Shot!"

Feet before they hit the ground, Naruto's hands intertwined over his head and were swung down. Shinnō's body collided with the cement with a loud bang and smoke shot up in a cloud. When it cleared, Shinnō was in the center of a crater that was ten feet deep, his body stuck in the ground and his eyes barely open as he struggled to remain conscious.

Naruto stood over him, his hair flickered like a flame and his eyes narrowed as he glared down at the Faunus extremist.

"It's assholes like you that give Faunus a bad name," he said to the barely conscious Faunus. "I don't know if you'll stay in prison long or if you'll still be here by the police arrive, but when you see your bosses again tell them that you _lost_ to a _human_. Tell them that you _failed_ to kill a _teenager_. Tell them that I'm _not_ afraid of them and I _will_ be waiting for them to try something stupid. Tell them that my name is Naruto Uzumaki and if they want to hurt _any_ of my friends, they have to go through me first. And believe me, pal, if they get through me, they're _not_ going to make it to a hospital. That's a promise."

Naruto left Shinnō in the crater with a scowl on his face. He stopped at the edge and turned back to the unconscious Faunus.

"You should count yourself lucky that I need to send a message and that I'm not a criminal like you. If I were, your head would be the message. And it would be mailed in a box."

* * *

Naruto returned to his friends' side of the shipyard. Once his Semblance had dropped back to the base setting, he realized that bones ached and his muscles protested any movement, but he continued to stand well until after the Vale police had arrived. Many if not all of the White Fang grunts were arrested and, as Naruto thought, Shinnō got away. Penny had vanished among the confusion, which worried Ruby until Kurama had reassured her that the odd girl was fine.

"Blake!" The group looked up as Yang and Weiss walked up to them. Yang had a smile on her face at seeing her partner again. That smile fell as she realized Ruby had several bandages around her head and Naruto's clothes looked like they'd gone through a meat grinder. Blake and Sun also looked a bit scuffed up, but not as badly as the other two. Yang rushed over to her sister first and began to examine her like a mother hen. Ruby managed to get past her sister and stood between Blake and Weiss.

"Weiss, Blake explained everything and she's really sorry that she lied, and-!" Ruby's rambling was silenced by her partner's raised hand as she walked past her to Blake and looked at her cat ears. Weiss' eyes dropped down to meet Blake's.

"Do you know how long we've been looking for you?" Weiss' voice was cold as she spoke. Blake looked down and rubbed her arm as Weiss continued. "Twelve hours. _Twelve._ Hours. And do you know what I did in those twelve hours? I thought. I thought long and hard about what you told me. About what you told us. And you know what I realized?"

"Weiss, I-"

"I. Don't. Care." Blake looked at the Schnee heiress in mild shock. Weiss crossed her arms. "You say you were part of the White Fang, that you're a Faunus, fine. Whatever. That's not who you are _now_. You're a part of Team RWBY, and I realized I was more hurt that you didn't trust us with this secret than I was over the secret itself."

"Weiss, about the White Fang, you-" Blake tried again.

"Ah, ah, ah." Weiss raised her hand. "I don't care. I don't want to hear it. I just want you to know, next time something like this comes up...I hope you trust _us_ to help you." Weiss took a moment to direct her glare at Sun. "And _not_ some no-good, rapscallion of a thief."

Sun chuckled weakly before he pointed at Naruto.

"He helped!"

"Oi! Dude!" Naruto squawked in outrage. He just fought a literal beefcake and probably broke at least five or six bones! He was so going to be sore tonight.

"Speaking of which." Yang looked at Naruto with her hands on her hips. "What the Hell happened to you, Whisker Boy?"

"No more cold shoulder? Cool." Naruto grinned weakly when she chuckled at his pun. "Met a guy who could make me sore in all the wrong ways."

"You poor baby. Do you need a kiss to make it better?" Yang asked with a small smile.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it." Naruto chuckled at his joke and then winced in mild pain. His eyes shot open wide as a pair of lips pressed against his. Ruby and Weiss' jaws dropped while Blake's eyebrow quirked upwards. Sun grinned and gave Naruto a thumbs' up of approval as the whiskered blond was released from the kiss.

"That was for helping my sister and my partner," Yang said as she traced one of Naruto's whisker marks before she turned to her teammates with a smile. "Let's go back to Beacon and get some shut eye. We got class in the morning."

The rest of Team RWBY nodded in agreement and left, leaving Naruto stunned and staring off into the distance. Sun laughed as he waved his hand in front of his friend's face, not getting a reaction.

"Called it." Haku smirked and held his hand out. Kurama scowled and Sasuke grimaced as they pulled out some lien and slapped it into the androgynous boy's hand.

"I was so sure he'd focus on Nikos." Kurama grumbled. "What with his redhead fetish and all."

"We're doomed if they procreate." Sasuke sighed.

Naruto just blinked. "What...What just happened?"

* * *

 **AN: Well, I guess that answers the pairing question, doesn't it? Fear the blonde babies. Fear them.**

 **RENAGADE!**


	9. Friend That Is A Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **IX: Friend That Is A Girl**

* * *

"Man, this is some nice digs," Sun said as he bounced on Naruto's bed. He looked over at his fellow blond with an arched brow. "You sure I can sleep here?"

"Dude." Naruto put his hands on his chest, winced for a brief moment, and then grinned at the Faunus. "Me casa, es su casa."

"That's his way of saying our place is yours," Sasuke said while he set Amaterasu on his desk and began to pull things from his dresser. "My turn for first shower."

"Alright, your majesty." Kurama drawled as Sasuke ducked into the bathroom. He rested Rikudo up against the wall and sat on his bed. He arched a brow when Sun pulled out his weapons, Ruyi Bang and Jingo Bang, in their bo staff form to do the same.

"Ah, another user of the mighty stick," Kurama said as he admired the two weapons. He held his hand out. "May I?"

Sun grinned. "Only if I can see yours."

"Of course." Kurama grabbed Rikudo and tossed it over to Sun, while the blond Faunus tossed his shotgun-nunchaku staff in return. Kurama investigated the red and gold staff with a critical eye. "A good solid build, with two of the shotguns facing out while the others rest within. Able to be flipped so as not to require immediate reloading."

Sun, likewise, twisted the pole of Kurama's ringed staff and examined the spear form that the dangling knives made. "Similar to one of my friends' Jian, but much easier to balance in one hand. That means your semblance requires at least one hand to use."

"Very good observation." Kurama praised his fellow Faunus with a smile as he flipped Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang over. "Ah, I see it can become a three sectioned staff as well as the nunchaku shotguns. Multiple uses for different scenarios. I assume you've trained to use them all?"

"Heck yeah, man." Sun grinned back as he reverted the spear to the monk-like staff it was before. "Do you fight with this mode?"

"Sometimes, but it's mostly to put others at ease. Of the three forms Rikudo has, that is by far the deadliest." Kurama had a secretive smile on his face as the two Faunus returned the weapons in their hands to the rightful owner.

"Geez, Kurama, you're almost as bad as Ruby with her weapon fetish," Naruto said with a chuckle. He winced and held his side as he rested against the foot of his bed. "Ow. That dude hit hard. Even when I was at eight times durability, he managed to fracture my ribs."

"You should go to the school nurse." Haku's suggestion made Naruto shiver. The two teammates of the whiskered blond rolled their eyes at his blatant fear of hospitals.

Kurama shook his head. "He should be fine in the morning, if not a little sore."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Naruto quipped with a pained laugh. "Ow, hurts to laugh."

"I can sleep on the floor if you want, little dude," Sun said with a small look of concern.

"No, man, I'll be fine. I've slept in worse conditions before." Naruto waved off the Faunus' worry as he tore the remains of his shirt and jacket off. The whiskered blond clucked in disappointment. "Man, and I almost made it a year before my clothes got destroyed. Would've been a new record."

"This is why I dress causal," Sun said with a grin as he pulled his gauntlets off and set them beside Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. He slipped his shirt and shoes off before he lounged on the bed with his hands behind his head. "So...Anyone else get weirded out by that Ozpin guy? He seemed...off."

"Prof. O?" Naruto asked as he tossed his ruined clothes in the garbage and took his combat sandals off. "Nah, he's always like that. What'd he ask you?"

"Basically what I knew and why I snuck over to Vale before the rest of Haven came," Sun said with a shrug. "Figured it wouldn't hurt to drop your name."

"Good call, Prof. O is way too smart to try and keep secrets from," Naruto said with a nod. He looked up as Sasuke came out in his evening yukata. "I'm next!"

The whiskered blond hopped to his feet and rushed off to the bathroom while Sasuke walked over to his corner of the room and dumped his dirty clothes in the bin.

"So what did Naruto mean by eight times durability?" Sun asked in confusion. "I mean, I know his Semblance increases his strength and stamina, but durability?"

"Like all of us, Naruto's Semblance is a reflection of his very soul, of who he is." Kurama explained as he gestured to Sasuke, who had picked up his copy of Ninjas of Love while he laid on his bed. "My partner's very quick and ruthless in battle, sharp and deadly like his sword. His Semblance, Kirin, reflects this and gives him control over lightning itself. One of our old teachers had a similar Semblance and helped refine Sasuke's so that it did not need to occur as just a giant lightning bolt coming from the sky."

"As for myself, I have the traits of a fox, a mischief maker in ancient human mythos known for stealing and creating lies," Kurama said with a gesture to his tail and a smirk on his face. "I was raised in a community filled with gossip and retail, so I know both best. To give and to take are my bread and butter, to eavesdrop is my own bliss. I can locate anyone by their aura, making it easy to hide from them, and transfer aura from opponents to myself or from myself to others."

"That must take a lot of aura to do," Sun said in mild surprise.

Kurama nodded with a smile. "It does. Comparing my reserves to yours, you could say I am an ocean to your pond."

"...Just a pond?" Sun asked with a pout.

Kurama chuckled. "Yes. You, Sasuke and Haku have large reserves, this is true, but there are only four people on campus whose reserves can even come near my own. Ozpin, Goodwitch, PJ and Naruto."

"PJ?" Sun asked.

"He's a friend, you'll probably meet him soon if you continue to hang around," Kurama said with a gesture of his hand. "I don't know why his reserves are so large, but I assume that to be due to his heritage."

"It would make sense," Haku said. Sun looked at him and Haku gained a light smile. "PJ's real name is Jaune Arc."

"...I don't know what that means," Sun said dryly.

"Of course you don't." Haku sighed and shook his head. "Oh well, hopefully it'll make itself clear soon."

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand," Kurama said. He nodded at Haku. "Our frosty friend has a nifty short-distance teleporting ability and has recently developed a spying method with our help to keep our goofball of a leader in check. It reflects his teachings at Fog Academy well, right?"

"Yes." Haku nodded. "Subterfuge and counter-espionage was the focus of Fog's teachings."

"Cool," Sun said with an impressed grin on his face. "So, what's with Naruto's Semblance?"

Sasuke sighed and set down his book. "Naruto's Semblance has been described by a village elder in Kon as 'the personification of a flame's will,' hence why we call it the 'Will of Fire'. Naruto is hardheaded and stubborn to a fault when he sets his mind to something. He would always find a way to get something done, even if it would get him in trouble. He's like an eternal flame, unable to be doused by any water, blown out by any wind, or covered by dirt."

"His will is so great that not even broken bones or injuries can hold him back from doing what he believes in right," Kurama said fondly. A small smile was on his face as he stared off at nothing. "Naruto's Semblance reflects his 'never say die' attitude and gives him the strength he needs to move even a mountain, the stamina to outlast a rampaging bull, and the durability to survive a building's collapse. The damn thing is always on, too, so his body is naturally twice as strong as any of ours. Nothing short of an atomizing attack could possibly defeat him."

"What about you?" Sun asked. "You could just drain his Aura reserves, right?"

Kurama shook his head. "It would take too long. I would lose inevitably if it came down to that. Naruto will fight an enemy not to the end of his Aura reserves, but his last breath. Even if his arms had been wrecked, his legs cut off, and his spine broken, he would still try to gnaw you to death."

"Damn..." Sun blinked in surprise. He sat back. "So he's like a one man machine..."

"Naruto's strength comes from not himself, but his friends," Sasuke said. He smirked in amusement. "Idiot doesn't think he can stand on his own, nor does he want to. He's the type of guy that wants to be everyone's best friend. Hard to believe I used to hate his and the fox's guts."

"Screw you, too, Uchiha," Kurama said with a smirk. He looked at Sun and nodded. "Just know this, as long as you stay loyal to Remnant and a good friend, Naruto will never let you down or leave you for dead."

"Leave who for dead?" Naruto asked as he walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his neck and running shorts on. He was rubbing water out of his ear and looked around as his four friends gave him grins. "What? Why're you guys looking at me like that?"

"We were just talking about your new girlfriend," Kurama said with a smirk as he got up and grabbed his clothes from his dresser. He walked into the bathroom and, before he shut the door, grinned at his team leader. "We don't want to see you mess this up, it is your first girlfriend after all."

"What?! Hey! I've had a girlfriend before, Kurama!" Naruto yelled as the door slammed shut. His eye twitched in annoyance and he glared at the other three as they laughed at him. "You guys can _all_ suck the biggest of dicks!"

* * *

Naruto huffed as he walked to the lunchroom the next day, dressed back in his modified school uniform. Behind him were his three teammates while Sun had gone back into Vale to entertain himself while he waited for their classes to end. Naruto wanted to go with him and skip class, but Haku reminded him that any potential tomfoolery could ruin his chances at getting into the Vytal Tournament. Sun, learning that they hadn't been allowed to participate yet, agreed with Naruto's partner.

" _I came here not only to hang out, but to scope out, man. Learning what I have, I gotta prepare myself for our fight!"_ Sun's words brought excitement and anticipation to Naruto, who agreed to meet up after classes. It wasn't until after the first class did Naruto realize what he'd agreed to, and now he was in a funk.

"I thought Sun's advice was very useful," Kurama said as he reached down and patted his tail, now wrapped around his waist. The two Faunus had discussed tail care vigorously that morning and both walked away with plans to research a better way to clean their beloved animal appendages. "I didn't know that the baby shampoo I used was tested on animals. Why is that even a thing? Just because it doesn't harm animals doesn't mean it doesn't harm humans, or even Faunus for that matter."

"It just goes to show how while a person can be smart, people are dumb." Sasuke shrugged. He noticed Naruto's funk and rolled his eyes. "Are you still miffed that Wukong ran off to have fun while you are stuck in class?"

"Yes!" Naruto admitted without shame as he turned around and pouted at his teammates. "Port was as boring as usual and Goodwitch wanted us to actually _learn_ today instead of spar! I was so pumped to fight someone today!"

"We can spar after classes with Sun," Haku said with a sigh. "Besides, Professor Goodwitch said that our day ends early because she and Professor Ozpin are showing a few new teachers around."

"And there's that!" Naruto threw his arms into the air. "I just got used to Peach's obsession with plants when four more potential weirdoes are coming?! Come on!"

"What are you yelling about now, Uzumaki?" Weiss asked as she and the other girls on Team Ruby met up with them outside of the lunchroom. Naruto stole a glance at Yang, who grinned and winked at him, before he looked back at the white haired girl.

"The new teachers," Naruto said with a small frown. "It took a while to get used to some of the antics of the old ones, but now we have new weirdoes coming!"

"At least life's never boring around here," Yang said as she hung back and grinned at him. "So, have any interesting dreams last night, Whisker Boy?"

Naruto grinned back at her, though it seemed a bit uneasy, as he pushed the lunchroom doors open and made his way to the lunch line. "Well, I was swimming in a never-ending broth of Ramen when I was joined by a figure of beauty."

"Oh really?"

"Wait for it, it could be a woman made from noodles." Kurama interjected. Team RWBY looked at the flushed whisker boy as he glared at the red-themed member of Team NHKS.

"One time! That was one time!" Naruto quickly hissed. He scowled as he got in the lunch line and grabbed a tray to fill with bowls upon bowls of ramen. On his way to the usual table where his team, RWBY and JNPR sat to eat, Naruto turned around and grinned at Yang behind him. "So far only half of my dream is coming true today."

Yang grinned back at him and tapped his nose with a finger. "Well, play your cards right and maybe you'll find yourself in heaven."

"You guys are making me lose my lunch, and I haven't even started to eat yet." Ruby complained as she sat down across from Jaune.

"What lunch?" Jaune asked with a laugh. He set his sandwich down and pointed at Ruby's tray. "All you have there are three cartons of milk and ten foods that don't fall under anything other than the sweet category."

"You should eat healthier, Ruby," Pyrrha said after she had looked up and greeted the others. She had a well balanced meal on her plate and was currently enjoying the salad.

"Yeah! You should have some of Ren's pancakes," Nora said. Ren shook his head and slapped Nora's hand as she tried to get the maple syrup. The hammer-wielding girl pouted at Ren, who merely sipped from his coffee mug.

"I drink milk." Ruby dangled her open carton of milk.

"Besides, if anyone's eating habits are unhealthy, it's Uzumaki's." Weiss cut in as she gave the whiskered blond a look of disgust while he went to town on his third bowl. "How does he eat so much of that garba-!"

Haku had moved so fast it was hard to tell if he used his Semblance or not to close the distance between himself and Weiss so that he may cover her mouth with his hand.

"Don't diss the Ramen." Sasuke warned while the heiress struggled under Haku's grasp.

Blake arched a brow and took a bite of her tuna casserole. "Why does he eat so much of it?"

"It's the food of Oum! Blessed be he who crafted Remnant with his divine ketchup and napkin," Naruto said after he set his bowl to the side and pulled the fourth in front of him. "He gave us this amazing gift to us after we acknowledged his greatness and showed him our gratitude. His prophet, the wise Mito Uzumaki, was the first to drink from the broth of the holy noodles, and happiness did she know forever more!" Naruto bowed his head and clapped his hands together. "Thank you Oum for this wondrous meal I am about to eat. May your rule be eternal and peaceful."

The two teams stared at Naruto as he began to eat once more, while Haku, Sasuke and Kurama seemed to ignore his preaching.

"And that is why we don't diss the Ramen or try to get him off of his addiction," Kurama said dryly as he picked up his ham sandwich. "The nut job could flip his lid. Again."

Sasuke shivered and rubbed his arms. "The sirens. The screams...I can still hear them."

Kurama consoled his partner with a rub on the back while the other eight glanced nervously at Naruto. The whiskered blond was eating contently and his eyes were closed as he did.

"Just...what happened exactly?" Ruby dared to ask.

"Our village ran out of Ramen," Kurama said simply while Sasuke gained horrified wide eyes. Kurama shrugged. "All I know was that I was right next to Naruto when he found out, and then I woke up a few days later in the hospital. No idea what happened and, based on the trembling form of my partner, I don't want to know."

"He went ballistic." Sasuke mumbled. "He took out our village's best and even a few more experienced students from Vacuo's Huntsman academy were injured when they tried to restrain him. In the end, it fell on the shoulders of our academy's headmaster to stop him. Buildings were in ruins and many were mildly injured from Naruto's reaction. Shortly afterwards, a law dedicated solely ensuring that such a event never occurs again had started."

"...Wow, it sounds like Yang when someone damages her hair," Ruby said softly.

Yang gave her little sister a dirty look. "I'm not _that_ bad!"

"Tell that to the three guys you sent to hospital after they accidentally cut one of your hairs off," Ruby said dryly.

Blake gave her partner a pointed stare. "Didn't you do something similar to some Ursa during our initiation?"

Yang chuckled sheepishly and poked her fingers together. "Well, you have to have pride in something about yourself, right?"

The table was quiet before Haku sighed and sat back down in his seat on the other side of Naruto while Yang sat on his other side. "And now you two are going to start dating..."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Yang frowned while Naruto choked on his ramen. Naruto forced himself to swallow what was in his mouth lest he waste the blessed noodles he loved so dearly.

"Who said anything about dating!? It was one kiss!" Naruto argued quickly and loudly. He shrunk down slightly when Yang's gaze fell on him. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with us dating, but it was just a kiss of gratitude, wasn't it?"

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't." Yang simply answered with a smile. She leaned next to him so that their hips and shoulders touched. "Besides, you'd kill to have a girlfriend that looked this good...right?"

"...Yes?" Naruto said, uncertainly.

"Thought so!" Yang grinned and went back to eating her lunch while Naruto stared at her for another moment before he looked over at his team. Haku chuckled at the silent cry for help that was on his whiskered partner's face while Kurama merely gave Naruto a thumbs up like Sun had the night before.

Sasuke had seemed to recover from his flashback and had a smirk plastered on his face as he looked at his team leader. He looked around the lunchroom in mild amusement. "I wonder if CFVY is back from their mission yet. Then Naruto and Kurama can double date. I bet a certain bunny would love it if you asked her."

Kurama punched his partner's shoulder. "Funny, Uchiha. You're a real comedian."

"I think you and Velvet look great together." Ren offered with his own small and amused smile.

"I'm surrounded by wise guys." Kurama growled. He snapped a look at Blake while she chuckled at her fellow Faunus' misfortune. "Or maybe our resident kitten should take her monkey boytoy and the other two blonds out for a walk."

Blake's smile fell and she glared at the glasses-wearing Faunus as he smirked back at her.

"I think you're _all_ getting ahead of yourselves," Naruto said dryly as he finished off his lunch. "And I think I'm going to go see if I can't figure out who the new teachers are."

He stood up to clean up his lunch and yelped when something pinched his butt. A glare shot over to Yang, who grinned at him like a minx.

"...You're _very_ lucky I didn't throw my tray into the air," Naruto said with a light flush before he walked away. The rest of the table burst into snickers and Ren slapped Nora's hand when she tried once more to steal the syrup for her plate of pancakes.

Yang rested her hand on her chin as she leaned into the table and shamelessly admired his backside. Her grin was still plastered on her face.

"He's so fun to tease." Yang mused. "Bet he's great in bed, too."

Ruby choked on her lunch and then glared at her laughing sister with a red face. Blake, Weiss and JNPR did the same while the rest of Team NHKS smirked or laughed at the comment.

Yang just gave those who were glaring at her a victory sign.

* * *

" _I know who you are. You're my girlfriend._ "

" _Well, that's probably the most underwhelming description of all time._ "

" _Hey, lots of ladies would be happy to be my girlfriend._ "

" _What other women do you even know?_ "

" _Uh...well, there's um…Oh! Grif had a sister, she seemed to like me._ "

" _Yeah, she also seemed pretty easy._ "

" _How did you know she was easy, Tex? Wait, you know what? Don't answer. It's better in my head._ "

Naruto snorted from where he lounged on his bed watching a video on his Scroll. "I can't believe they thought I was going to go investigate the new teachers. I'm just going to sit here and chill while I watch some good ol' educational _Red VS Blue: Revelation._ "

"Is that season seven or season eight?"

"Season eight." Naruto answered the other occupant of his bed. He snickered along with his companion when the sniper implied that he dealt with a certain hard organ on the male body. Naruto was content for another few seconds before he realized that he'd been sitting in his room _alone_ watching videos on his bed _alone_ for the past thirty minutes. A weight landed on his shoulder and Naruto looked down to see a familiar shade of blonde atop the head of a familiar girl.

Naruto looked from Yang to his team's bedroom door and then back at Yang before he arched a brow. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Yang asked, partially distracted by the most popular web series on Remnant.

Naruto paused the video and closed his Scroll as he sat up. "Sneak into my team's room without me realizing it?"

"I walked in, closed the door and then climbed on the bed. You were just too distracted to notice." Yang replied bluntly with a smirk on her face. She sat up and met his gaze. "You really didn't think I don't recognize the signs of someone skipping class?"

"Well, I was hoping I did a good job of covering my bases." Naruto mumbled in disappointment.

Yang arched a brow. "You? Investigating teachers to see who they are? Come on, Whisker Boy, you'll meet them when we're shuffled into their classes."

"...Man, our friends are dumb," Naruto said with an amused smile on his face.

"In Ruby's defense, she's only fifteen and has an attention disorder...I think." Yang mused. She shrugged. "And the others don't really care as long as they don't think you're running off to prank someone."

"Meh, Cardin's still butt hurt from the laxative I slipped in his protein shake last week and all the teachers are too cool to really bother," Naruto said with a shrug of his own.

"And you haven't pranked us yet because...?" Yang fished.

Naruto arched a brow. "What do you mean? Of course I pranked you guys. I got Sneeze on day one with the duck tape. Bell got the brunt of a dog whistle when I was trying to prank Kurama. Still need to apologize for that. Ruby lost some cookies to yours truly and you...uh..." Naruto furrowed his brow. "Give me a second, I know I did something to you..."

"If only." Yang joked with a smile.

"...Oh, damn, I really haven't – no, wait! A few days ago when we were in Vale. The size thing." Naruto smirked at her. "Made you blush."

Yang smirked back and climbed onto his lap, causing Naruto's smirk to slowly die down. "Yes you did, but you also raised a _big_ question I want answered."

"Uh...So, uh...I-Is this really going to be a thing?" Naruto asked as he sat back against his bed and let his hands rest on Yang's hips.

"I don't know," Yang said slyly. "You tell me."

"I mean, I wouldn't exactly mind, but I thought we were just joking around..." Naruto mumbled.

Yang leaned in and her half-lidded lilac eyes stared into Naruto's blue. "Games are fun and all, but they gotta end eventually."

"...Hard to argue with that logi- could you _please_ stop moving your hips?"

"Sorry, that happens sometimes."

Naruto stared at her flatly, his face lightly flushed. "It's welcomed, but it makes thinking difficult."

"What's there to think about?" Yang asked with a grin.

"Hm, point taken." Naruto grinned slightly before he let his lips press gently against hers. Yang grinned back as their lips meshed together, her arms were loosely hanging over his shoulders while Naruto's hands began to gently stroke her legs. The two blondes were so engrossed with one another that they didn't notice the door opening again.

"Okay, Naruto, fun's over, next class is – Oh! Damn, man, in our room!?" Sasuke clapped his hand over his eyes while the two broke from their kiss and looked at him. "Geez, I'll never unsee that! Nightmares, I'm going to have nightmares!"

Sasuke rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Naruto and Yang stared at the door in mild shock before they looked at each other with grins on their faces.

"Make out on his bed?"

"It's like you read my mind."

* * *

"And you're sure of what you saw?" Haku asked Sasuke while the raven-haired boy scrubbed water and soap into his eyes from a drinking fountain. The question of where the soap had come from was still unanswered, and Haku was more concerned with _why_ he and Kurama had found Sasuke doing such and ask rather than the _how_ that was bouncing around in Kurama's head.

"Yes! Gah, the burning! No, that's good, it means the image will be gone!"

"Wow, this whole time I thought you were kidding about being afraid of Naruto procreating," Kurama said as he watched his partner nearly mutilate himself. "You do know they were just kissing, right?"

"W-Who was kissing?"

The leader-less Team NHKS turned to see Velvet and her team walking up to them. The rabbit-eared girl blushed shyly under their gaze and ducked behind Yatsuhashi, who had a small smile on his face.

"Hey Vel." Kurama greeted with a nod. "Fox. Yatsuhashi."

"Kurama." The giant older teen nodded back while the silent teen gave a small wave.

"What's all this about kissing?" Coco asked with a smirk on her face. She looked around and pouted. "Aw, Naru's still hiding from me? Is he still mad?"

"He's probably more horny than he is mad," Kurama said with a grunt when Haku elbowed him.

Coco caught it and her pout turned into a confused frown. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Your 'adorable little brother' has just doomed Remnant to endless Hell." Sasuke grunted as he rubbed his eyes. "I think it's gone now."

"What?"

"Nothing Coco," Haku said with a sigh. "Naruto pranked Sasuke with Yang's help."

"Yang's that blonde girl with the big bust, right?" Coco asked, recalling seeing the buxom member of Team RWBY in passing. Her lips pursed. "How close are they?"

"Intimat – Ow! My foot!" Kurama started to hop around with his hand on his foot after Haku stomped down on it.

"Whoops, I should really watch where I'm going. Excuse us, Coco, my teammates and I need to have a quick conversation." Haku smiled at the older teens as he grabbed Kurama and Sasuke's collars, pulling them with him around a corner. Once they were out of sight, Haku turned on his friends with a scowl. "Are you two _trying_ to get Yang killed?"

"I think if anyone should be angry here, it's me!" Kurama hissed as he gingerly set his foot down. "You broke something!"

"Get over yourself!" Haku hissed back. He pointed behind them. "You _know_ how Coco gets! She is the Yang to Naruto's Ruby! Remember that time Russell brained Ruby with an apple?"

"Yeah? And?" Kurama asked. He grinned. "Dipshit got his ass beat and stopped picking on the squirt. Not to mention the wave of pranks Naruto and I did."

"What do you think will happen to Yang when _Coco_ finds out that she kissed Naruto?!"

"Uh, guys?" Sasuke held a finger up as Kurama and Haku glared daggers at each other.

"Who cares about that? They had that coming! _You_ broke _my_ foot!"

"G-guys?"

"That's going to be the least of your concerns if Ruby finds out you were the reason Coco killed Yang because _you_ told _her_ that Yang and Naruto are dating!"

"Guys!?"

"They aren't even dating yet! They've only just started to kiss and shit!"

"Hey idiots!"

"What!?" Haku and Kurama snapped their glares over to Sasuke, only to pale when they realized Team CFVY was standing right behind the boy. Yatsuhashi had Sasuke in an one-armed headlock and Coco's aura, a very intimidating _red,_ was visible around her. Velvet was hiding behind Fox, who was a good distance away from his team leader.

"So..." Coco cracked her knuckles and narrowed her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Which of you is going to show me where your dorm room is?"

* * *

"Wait, hold up," Naruto said as he pushed himself up and off of Yang while they laid on Sasuke's bed. He looked down at his new girlfriend with mild confusion. "Did you feel that?"

"I was going to say something, but I kind of like the poke it gives. Really revs my engines," Yang said with a wink.

"Hot, but I could've sworn I just had a tingle go down my spine."

Yang grinned at him and interlaced her fingers behind his neck. "Good to know I have that effect on you."

"No, not that kind of tingle," Naruto said with a frown. He pursed his lips and looked around the room with his brows furrowed together. "Like...an overwhelming sense of doom and despair just overcame me."

"It's called a relationship, Whisker Boy. Now stop being so negative about it and get back down here." Yang pulled Naruto into another kiss before he could say anything else. Just as their new round of second base started up, there was a knock at the door. Their kiss broke again and Yang glared at Naruto. "If you get up to get that, I will break your nuts."

"...I was stopping for air, that's all."

"Smart boy."

"Right? Why can't everyone else see-Mm..."

There was another knock and the two blondes each lifted one hand to flip it off, all the while still kissing and petting each other heavily. Yang pushed Naruto over and straddled him, her blonde locks curtaining over him and the both of them grinning at each other. They resumed their petting, their tongue-used kissing and pretty much barely managed to stay appropriately dressed – both were still in their respective school uniforms when this relationship began. (Yang's attire might have been a huge factor in Naruto's quick decisions, but that's beside the point.)

The new couple were thus shocked, but did not move, when the door was broken down by Kurama's body. The Faunus groaned from where he lay on the specially crafted entryway and let out a grunt when a sharp heel stepped onto his back over him.

"Naruto! What's this I hear...about...?" Coco's question trailed off as she took in the sight of her adopted baby brother being straddled by the buxom blonde she'd seen in passing. Her hands curled into tight fists and her Aura began to flare lightly. "You."

"...Uh, hi Coco..." Naruto gave her a weak smile and wave. He looked at Yang, then back at Coco. "Um...I can explain."

"Then explain it, Naruto." Coco gave him a sweet smile that promised nothing but pain if he tried to lie.

"...This is _exactly_ what it looks like."

Coco smiled wider. "Do you _know_ what it looks like?"

"Uh..."

"Like I'm checking his blood pressure," Yang said simply. Team CFVY, the rest of Team NHKS, who were held by their necks in Yatsuhashi's massive arms aside from Kurama on the ground, and even _Naruto_ looked at her in disbelief. Yang sat back slightly and smiled at the older teen.

"...By straddling him?" Coco asked in mild disbelief crossed with barely contained fury while Fox palmed his face.

"It's _very_ effective. Gets an accurate reading every time."

Naruto looked up at the ceiling with a frown. "...Why must you take away all of my nice things?"

"...Naruto. Go outside." Coco held her hand out while Naruto tried to get out from under his new girlfriend, though Yang kept him pinned in place. "Velvet, my bag, please."

"U-Um, Coco, I'm p-pretty sure you're not supposed to use your weapons inside," Velvet said and then looked down at her fellow Faunus. "And I think Kurama needs air."

"Velvet, sweetie, don't argue with me right now. Naruto! Move!"

"Coco, believe me, I'm tryin'!" Naruto returned as he tried to push Yang off. "Geez, woman, your legs are strong!"

"Lesser men's hips have been broken," Yang said with a smile. She turned to her whiskered boyfriend and tapped his nose. "You stay right here and I'll be back to finish up in a second."

"You'll finish up all right..." Coco grumbled. "Velvet!"

Velvet winced and handed Coco her bag before she ran back to hide behind Yatsuhashi, Fox doing the same. The self-proclaimed older sister flicked her wrist and the bag unfolded into a mini-gun. Yang slid off of Naruto's lap and reached into her school's jacket pocket to pull her gauntlets on. As the two teen girls had a stare off of epic proportions, Naruto, far too afraid to move for his own safety, looked from Yang, to Coco, and then up at the ceiling.

"Oum...Why do you hate me?"

* * *

 **AN: Oh the havoc to be caused...shame it's far too violent for a T-rated story. Next up, the aftermath and Volume Two gets underway!**

 **REMAGINE!**


	10. Best Day Ever

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **X: Best Day Ever**

* * *

"Where to begin?" Glynda Goodwitch looked over the three teams seated before her as she paced the front of her personal classroom. Her hands were folded behind her back and a scowl was set on her face as she looked at the whiskered blond male seated with his team in the center front desk. "Where...to begin? Shall I start with the inconceivable reasons of performing hooky?"

"In my defense, getting a girlfriend wasn't the reason I, uh, decided to skip." Naruto rubbed his neck sheepishly. He cowed significantly, nearly falling under the desk, as Goodwitch's infuriated eyes fell on him. Naruto swallowed audibly and hung his head. "I'll be quiet now."

"Quite." Goodwitch huffed as she walked over to Team NHKS' left to stand before Team RWBY. "Perhaps I should ask instead why you, Ms. Rose, allowed your teammate to slip away and perform the same act, sneaking into another team's room – an all male team's room at that!"

"Uh, I um, what I mean to say is um...Yang bribed me with cookies!"

"That's a dirty lie!"

"Quiet!" Goodwitch need not raise her voice to stop the two sisters, both seated on opposite sides of their desk – with the older furthest away from her new boyfriend – and resisted the urge to smirk when Ruby and Yang let out meek squeaks and sat up straight. With her scowl still in place, Goodwitch went over to the other side of the room, where Team CFVY was seated, all as nervous as the rookies.

"Or perhaps, I should start with asking why in the world a second year team, one who is notably remarked as possibly the best of their year, decided to sit back and watch with notable hostages as their team leader unloaded..." Goodwitch looked down at her Scroll and then glared at Coco, who shrunk into her seat. " _Eight_ _hundred_ fire Dust infused rounds into the dormitory?"

"...I was preventing my cute juniors from making a terrible mistake?" Coco laughed nervously.

"Nearly killing _both_ in the process?" Goodwitch inquired with a glare.

"Um...Well, that's one way to stop unprotected sex, right?"

"Coco!"

"We weren't even that far yet!"

"Mr. Uzumaki, Ms. Xiao-Long, be quiet!"

Both blondes shrunk down as the professor and second head of the school glared at them.

"Now." Goodwitch began again as she walked to the front of the classroom and then turned to face the three. "If it were up to me, I'd have _all_ of you expelled and shipped back to wherever any of you had decided to call home prior to your arrival to Beacon. However, for some unknown reason, Professor Ozpin has decided against taking this action."

The three teams sighed in visible relief and Goodwitch almost smirked again. Almost.

"Instead, he's decided to have the Vale visitation rights of all three teams pulled for the next three months, starting immediately." Was it wrong that Goodwitch took pleasure in seeing the horror on each of their faces? ...Probably not. They did just cause at _least_ two hundred thousand lien of damage to a campus dorm. " _And_...He's decided that as Team NHKS' dorm room is being restored, that each team will be assigned a personal teacher to oversee and watch them for those next three months. The teams will not be allowed to train, group study, or engage in any recreation without the expressed permission of their respective handler."

Okay, _now_ it was wrong that she took pleasure from their horrified faces.

Goodwitch decided that _now_ was the appropriate time to smirk as she looked down at her Scroll. A button was pressed and she smiled as her classroom door slid open. Four adults walked in, and only three faces lit up as they did. Goodwitch saw this and her scowl fell.

"YOSH!" A man with black hair styled like a bowl and enormous eyebrows cried out with a pumped fist. He was dressed in a skintight green suit that had various pads of a contrasting maroon over his body. His feet had dark muted orange boots on, styled similarly to the boys' of Team NHKS. He gave a thumbs up towards the three teams and beamed, which caused his teeth to gleam. "Greetings youthful Hunters, we are Team KAAG (Kage), the most youthful and spring filled team from Vacuo, brought here by the youthful and wise Professor Ozpin!"

"Oh for the love of – Guy, we talked about this," a man beside him said with a heavy sigh. He wore wrap around sunglasses, much like Kurama, and was dressed in a navy blue outfit with a black trench coat over it. His brown hair was spiked up and fell slightly towards the left.

"This is so embarrassing." A woman with long black hair groaned into her bandaged right hand. She wore a dress that looked like it was made of wrappings and was sleeveless over her left arm, while a red sleeve hung down from her right. Red eyes opened as she glared at the loud 'youth' preacher. Heeled variations of the sandals worn by most of Team NHKS covered her feet.

"Easy, Kurenai, Guy's just being Guy." The tall bearded man to her left consoled her with a laid-back smile on his face. His hair was a similar black as the other man, Guy's, but was short and slightly spiked like the third man. He had a rugged appearance and gave a light wave to the group of teens. The rugged man wore a sleeveless black vest and had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. Around his waist was a sash with a small red monkey on it. Like the rest of his male teammates, he wore combat sandals on his feet. "Sup, kids – wait a minute...is that-?"

The woman, Kurenai, gave him a sharp elbow in the side before she looked at Goodwitch with a smile. "So, where do you want us?"

Goodwitch could see that a certain three students recognized each and every one of the team members that Ozpin requested as their handler. She wanted to rant and rage how it was unfair that she had to be miserable while those that caused it, mostly anyway, were reunited with old friends. Her friend and boss was such a sneaky bastard sometimes.

"Well, Ozpin suggested we needed a responsible woman to reign in two very irresponsible siblings and their equally rambunctious partners," Goodwitch said as she adjusted her glasses. She looked over at Team RWBY, who had angelic smiles plastered on their faces, and then back at Kurenai. "Don't let them trick you. They're hellions. All of them."

Team NHKS snickered or smirked while each girl hung their head in shame.

"Alright then." Kurenai smiled as she walked over to stand by the team. She waited patiently while Goodwitch moved down the line.

"A-oba, was it?"

"More like Aoba." The way the man pronounced it was like 'Ow-ba.'

"My apologies."

"It's understandable," Aoba said with a small smile and nod.

"Please keep a watch over Team CFVY." Goodwitch pointed at the older students and promptly palmed her face when she saw Coco grinning widely.

As Aoba went over to stand by his designated team, Goodwitch looked at her Scroll and scowled. If only she had a say in which team got a teacher, she would _personally_ ensure Team NHKS never did anything to break the rules. Unfortunately, this was a call Ozpin pulled his authority on. Again.

"And finally, Asuma–"

"YES!" Sasuke, Naruto and Kurama stood up with their fists in the air as they cheered. Asuma laughed and walked over to stand by them, the five males already chatting wildly while Goodwitch clutched her scroll tightly. This was not going to end in punishment, she was sure of it.

"Uh, forgive me, Ms. Goodwitch, but, was there not a team of youths for me to preside over?" Guy asked as he watched his teammates with a hint of jealousy.

Goodwitch adjusted her glasses as a smirk crossed her face once again. At least one problem would be resolved from this decision. One problem she had thought to be impossible to fix.

* * *

Elsewhere, one Jaune Arc turned and sneezed into his arm before he looked back at the current page he was reading of a _X-Ray and Vav_ comic.

* * *

"So you're from Fog Academy, huh? Nice to meet you," Asuma said to Haku as his new 'team' walked around the campus with him. The cigarette in his mouth was lit and hung from his lip as he talked. "In case you hadn't already guessed, I'm familiar with these three troublemakers."

"Asuma! Such slander to leave your lips!" Naruto crossed his hands over his chest and pouted at the older man. "How could you say such a thing to your favorite student?"

"You were the Old Man's favorite, Naruto. Not mine." Asuma chuckled as the blond squawked in outrage. "So, care to fill me in on why your permission to Vale was revoked?"

"That's our leader's fault." Kurama huffed.

"Oi! From what I hear, _you're_ the one that told Coco, Kurama!" Naruto shot back with a glare. Kurama glared back at him from behind his shades and the two pressed their heads together, glowing gold and red eyes locked. "If you could've just kept your mouth shut, this wouldn't have happened!"

"No! If you could've kept your virgin dick in your pants and gone to class like the rest of us, then it wouldn't have happened! This is _your_ fault!"

 _"My_ fault!? How is it _my_ fault that Yang snuck into our room!?"

"You're the idiot that left the security locks down, _idiot_!"

"Okay, okay, settle down boys." Asuma cut in with a smile as he pushed the two hotheaded teens away from one another. He looked between them and laughed. "Ah, man, I'm glad to see you two haven't changed much since you left Kon."

Kurama huffed and looked away from the blond with his arms crossed. "I'm pretty sure _one_ of us changed."

"Oi! You want to go, Fuzzbutt?" Naruto asked as he glared at the Faunus.

"Naruto, let's not get ourselves in any more trouble than we already are," Haku said calmly while he gave Kurama a small dirty look. He agreed that both had good points on faults, but Kurama _was_ the one that volunteered to lead Coco to the room while he and Sasuke were held in Yatsuhashi's massive arms by their necks.

Asuma laughed and wiped a small tear from his eye. "This is so nostalgic. I'm glad to see you found a new Sakura to keep yourself in check, Naruto."

Kurama smirked and Naruto let out a small laugh while he rubbed his neck. Haku furrowed his brow in confusion when he saw Sasuke grimace and turned to their new watcher. "I'm sorry, who?"

"What? You don't know who Sakura is? ...Well, I guess the power couple really did cut all ties," Asuma said as he looked at Sasuke with a small smirk.

"Don't. You. Dare." Sasuke glared at the older Huntsman.

"Sakura is Sasuke's ex-girlfriend," Kurama said with a smirk. He ignored the burning glare that his partner gave him. "They broke up at the end of the year when they had an argument over which school they should go to. She's the source of his librarian fetish."

"For the last goddamn time, I do _not_ have a fetish!"

"Sure, and Kurama doesn't want to chase a certain bunny," Naruto said with a nod. The whiskered teen grinned when the Faunus and his partner glared at him. "What? Not my fault you're both stuck on the sinking ship of Denial."

"Screw you, Uzumaki." The two partners growled.

"Naruto was probably one of her first friends and, as they grew up, became akin to a sister to him." Asuma continued. He chuckled when Naruto wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered.

"Those punches...she's a monster, I swear..." Naruto whimpered. "Always broke through my Semblance..."

"Was hers a strengthening one as well?" Haku asked.

"No, that was righteous feminine fury," Sasuke said dryly while Naruto let out a pitiful whimper.

"As fun as it is to go down this trip through memory road, I think we should have a small test to see if any of you have slacked off since you've been gone," Asuma said with a small smile as he took his cigarette from his mouth and dropped it to the ground, where he extinguished it with his foot.

Team NHKS lost all sense of humor as the four boys gained excited and determined looks on their faces.

* * *

"So, uh, Ms. Yuuhi, how do Naruto, Kurama and Sasuke know you?" Ruby asked the red-eyed woman while they walked through the school grounds, dressed in their usual Hunter gear.

Kurenai turned and smiled at the girl. "I don't know them personally, but they and Asuma have a long history together due to their ties with his father."

"His father?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi." Kurenai blinked in surprise when the girls winced or frowned at the name. "So, you already know how he died?"

"The Fourth War killed him," Blake said, a frown on her face. He was a human that was a member of the White Fang before their methods changed, a speaker for Faunus rights that wasn't a Faunus. His loss was devastating to all who wanted equality for Faunus, and for the White Fang to ignore it, it was sickening.

Kurenai nodded. "It was a large blow to the village. To lose such an avid supporter of Faunus equality and an old member of the village's council. If he hadn't ensured Kakashi's campaign, I fear that most children would've gained some...unsatisfactory traits."

"Like?" Ruby fished, her teammates perking their ears up in interest. The three boys from the small city-village of Kon always talked about their home, but they never really said anything. They would reminisce and describe adventures long passed, but it was all so vague! And Haku was no better, but Team RWBY would take what they could get.

"Another time."

The girls deflated and groaned lightly. They just couldn't catch a break.

"I'm more interested in getting to know the team I've been assigned." Kurenai smiled lightly as they stopped and sat at a small table. Her eyes drifted over to Weiss. "Perhaps we should start with our resident celebrity."

"We have a celebrity? Where?"

"Funny." Weiss glowered at Yang before she looked at her new watcher. "What do you mean?"

"Well...hm." Kurenai leaned back and tapped her chin. "I suppose I should go first in that case." The woman gently smiled at the girls. "My name is Kurenai Yuuhi, I've been a Huntress for eight years now. My goal, nearly complete since our transfer has gone through, is to teach at one of the Four Great Hunter Academies in Remnant and start a family with my partner."

"Partner?" Yang asked.

"Asuma." Kurenai clarified with a smile as she lifted her left hand. A small red monkey was etched into her third finger, just above the knuckle. The girls raised their brows in confusion and Kurenai laughed lightly. "It may be tradition to use a ring, but I didn't want to risk losing or having the engagement ring stolen while on a mission, so I got this tattoo to show that I was taken. It also keeps our relationship hidden from any enemies, since it's so small and hard to find."

"That's..."

"So romantic." Blake flushed lightly when her teammates looked at her. "What? It is."

"I think so, too. Especially since Asuma has to walk around with a white flower on his finger." Kurenai smiled lightly as she looked at the mark. She looked up at her new team and then looked at Weiss. "Well?"

"O-Oh, right, um..." Weiss shook her head to rid herself of the jealousy she felt. "I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust company, as you all know, but I don't want to just be known as a rich business woman. I want to do something meaningful with my life, save and protect people. So I decided to become a Huntress. I want to be the best Huntress I can be and...and hopefully one day put an end the stupid rumors about my company, even if they turn out to be true."

Yang and Blake smiled brightly at their teammate while Ruby's lip trembled before she clung to the older girl.

"That's so beautiful, Weiss!"

"G-Get off, Ruby!" Weiss grunted and tried to push Ruby off, which elected laughter from the other three present.

"It was very heartwarming, Weiss," Kurenai said with a smile as Ruby released her teammate. She looked over to Blake. "Now, perhaps another infamous lady would like to speak up?"

Blake started and the girls all tensed as they looked at Kurenai. The older Huntress arched a brow.

"Do you _really_ think Ozpin would keep us in the dark? Or that I wouldn't notice your bow twitches every now and then?" Kurenai's smile widened slightly as the Faunus flushed. "I don't care, if you must know. I've had quite a few Faunus friends in my time on this world, both those that had decided to leave the White Fang after it turned into what it is and those that decided to stay."

"...My name is Blake Belladonna," Blake said after a moment was taken to let all of Kurenai's words to sink in. Blake clenched her hands into fists slightly on the table. "I used to be a member of the White Fang, had been since I was young, but after I realized that it wasn't what it used to be, that the new tactics worked for all the wrong reasons, I decided to leave. I wanted to get away from what I was apart of, what I've done, and decided to put my abilities to greater use. I want to find a way for Faunus and Humans to coexist in peace and protect the people I once sought to hurt."

"Admirable," Kurenai said with a smile while the other girls' smiles grew with her. She leaned forward slightly. "Now, this goes for all of you, so listen up. If any of you have any concerns or worries, don't be afraid to approach me. I'm here to help you more than I am to watch you."

The girls nodded and Ruby raised her hand.

"Can I go next?" Ruby asked. Kurenai smiled and nodded, which made the young girl beam. "I'm Ruby Rose, team leader of Team RWBY! I love weapons and fighting Grimm, and I've been doing it for a long time with my uncle Qrow. My goal is to...to be the best team leader and Huntress I can and help the rest of my friends accomplish theirs all while protecting Remnant!"

"Aww, that's so sweet, sis." Yang teased with a smile. Ruby flushed when the rest of her team smiled at her the same way.

"W-Well, you guys are my friends, so why wouldn't I want to help you?" She said.

"It's a very good goal, Ruby, and maybe as you get older, you'll find another more specific, personal reason," Kurenai said as she put her hand on the young team leader's shoulder. She turned to the last team member and arched a brow. "And now perhaps we shall hear from our resident troublemaker."

"Well, our most _recent_ troublemaker," Weiss said as she smirked at her partner. Ruby pouted at her while the others laughed.

"Okay, where to start?" Yang mused once the laughter had died down. "I'm Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's older sister. I like to fight and beat up stuff, Yang out with my friends-" There was a group groan from her teammates that Yang pointedly ignored as she spoke with the older Huntress. "-and just have fun. I decided became a Huntress so I could travel the world and help people in the process. Aside from the fact that it ran in the family, I mean. I...my goal is to find someone so I can get some answers."

The group waited for Yang to clarify, but she didn't continue. Yang just continued to glare at the table while her fists clenched. Her eyes had flickered between lilac and red for a brief few moments before she exhaled.

"And ...I want to see where I go with Whisker Boy." Yang smiled lightly. She looked at Blake. "You know, thinking about it, that double date with you and Sun sounds like a barrel of fun!"

Blake flushed bright red and glared at her partner while Weiss and Ruby laughed. Kurenai smiled, but she filed away Yang's anger at this mysterious 'someone' as something to be a bit concerned about. Deciding to deal with it later, Kurenai's smile became mischievous as she looked at Blake.

"Who's Sun?" she asked. Blake flushed lightly while Yang grinned widely.

"A hunky Faunus Blake stole away for a day."

"That is _not_ what happened." Blake growled.

"That's not what Naruto says~" Yang sang.

Ruby snickered and whistled innocently when Blake glared at her.

Weiss crossed her arms and scowled lightly. "Sun Wukong is a no good degenerate that's an old friend of Uzumaki's. The two managed to drag Blake into a scheme that resulted in her being targeted by a high-ranking member of her old group."

"Wow, last time I look to you for any compliments, Ice Queen." The five females looked up to see a familiar blond-haired, monkey-tailed Faunus lounging on a tree branch above their table. Sun grinned and gave a small wave at the group. "Hi girls! You wouldn't happen to know where Naruto is do you? I checked his dorm, but, uh, there was a problem with it...it was sort of destroyed."

Yang grinned up at him. "We had a _Yanging_ time."

"Oh, come on Yang, that was terrible! It didn't even make sense!" Ruby chided her sister.

"Yes! I called it!" Sun ignored Ruby's outburst and pumped his fist. He tapped his chin and then peeled a banana, his thinking food. "Now, how to congratulate the little dude?"

"Mr. Wukong, was it?" Kurenai cut into the Faunus' plans as she inquired his name. "You wouldn't happen to be acquainted with a man named Roshi Wukong, would you?"

Sun blinked and swallowed the banana bite that was in his mouth before he flipped down from the tree branch and landed on the table. He pointed the remains of his banana at the woman with wide eyes. "You know Grampa Roshi!?"

Kurenai used a finger to push Sun's hand down and gave him a flat look. "You're related to him, all right. Roshi Wukong, known by such names as Master Wukong, Hermit Roshi, and recently using the alias 'Son Gokū', is a notorious Hunter..." Kurenai scowled and glared daggers at Sun. "And an absolutely shameless pig!"

Sun's smile vanished and he relocated himself on the opposite side of the table, far from Kurenai's grasp, and cowering from her glare. "Oh, that's why you know Grampa."

"We've run into each other more than once." Kurenai grit out with her glare still locked on the Faunus.

"Um...Is he bad?" Ruby asked innocently.

Kurenai looked at her calmly. "He's a known associate and partner to The Toad Sage...both men have been declared enemies to _all_ females, Human or Faunus. They peek on girls in baths, saunas, even perch themselves outside of windows at some times."

"Yep. That sounds like Grampa." Sun muttered, something Blake caught as she gave him a confused look.

"The Toad Sage?" Ruby asked again.

Kurenai frowned. "The only known alias of the man that writes the _smut_ known as 'Ninjas of Love'."

Blake glared at Yang when she looked ready to speak up. "I will cut you up into little pieces and scatter you across the globe."

"Party pooper. No cake for you." Yang huffed and pouted as she rested her head on the table in disappointment. She wanted to know what Kurenai would do to – wait, all she has to do is not specify! Genius. Yang grinned and looked at her new mother hen. "So, what if we know a girl who has a copy of this _smut_?"

Blake flushed bright red and glared daggers into the back of Yang's head.

"Give me her number," Sun said with a chuckle. He wilted under Kurenai's glare and slunk out of sight. "J-Just joking."

"Burn her book and give her something far more appropriate to read," Kurenai said simply once she had cowed the grandson of Roshi Wukong into silence.

"And if she insists to read _Ninjas of Love_?" Yang pressed on. She was aware of her partner's eyes trying to bore into the back of her skull, but she didn't care. This was way too funny.

"Well, we can't all be perfect," Kurenai said with a sigh. "My opinion of her will be low, but if she so choses to read it I just hope this girl reads it somewhere _far_ away from you. So long as she doesn't read _smut_ in public, I can't really fault her. I've got my own questionable readings at home...just none of them were written by The Toad Sage."

"This man sounds like an enormous nuisance, why is he not arrested?" Weiss asked with a frown.

"He may write trash, but he's good at covering his tracks," Kurenai said with a frown. "I only know about Roshi Wukong's involvement because he's so shameless about it. He practically crows his perverse nature to the world."

"That's definitely Grampa Roshi." Sun nodded in agreement. He cupped his chin and frowned. "I wonder if that's why my Mom didn't want me to go to a school in Vacuo."

"I knew you were a degenerate. This only proves its hereditary!" Weiss scowled at the monkey-tailed Faunus.

"For your information, Ice Queen, I steal and stowaway! Not write dirty books!" Sun argued back.

"Blake, I strongly suggest you dump him!"

"Hey!" Sun pouted.

"I can't dump him because we aren't even dating!" Blake snapped.

"Yet."

"Shut _up,_ Yang!"

* * *

"Wow, Kurenai, how'd this all happen?" Asuma asked in amusement to his slightly irate fiancé. He and Team NHKS, the four boys scuffed up and cut lightly on their arms and legs, had come across a strange sight after their spar.

"Asuma, I _will_ make you sleep outside." Kurenai warned while she watched her team argue. And by argue, she means watch Yang get choked by an infuriated Blake while Ruby cheered her sister on to "fight back" and Weiss argue with Sun over his degenerate acts, while the Faunus was encased in a block of ice from the neck down.

Naruto snickered as he walked up to his pen pal. "Geez, Sun, if you wanted to _chill_ , you didn't need to ask Sneeze to help you."

"Get my name right, Uzumaki!" Weiss snapped with a glare. She pointed at Sun. "This-this-this ruffian is a degenerate, no-good, thief and perverted spy!"

Sun was too busy snickering at the joke Naruto made to refute the accusation.

"...And your point is, Sneeze?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"...I _despise_ you." Weiss hissed. Naruto pouted and covered his chest.

"Your cruel and cold words dig a wound so very deep into my warm noble heart."

"I mean, letting the Schnee heiress freeze some poor kid and watching as one girl tried to choke another out..." Asuma grinned at Kurenai.

"You're on thin ice, Sarutobi." Kurenai glared at him and then looked at his team. She took notice of their scuffed and disheveled forms, as well as some light bruising. "What the heck happened to them?"

"Asuma wanted to test us," Sasuke said with a small smile. He looked at his appointed watcher. "We should do that again."

"It was a very good learning experience," Haku said with a nod.

"Says you," Kurama said with a scowl. He cradled his tail to his chest protectively. "A damn tree nearly crushed me and broke part of my tail!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're such a drama queen, Kurama."

"Says his majesty."

"Screw you, Ōtsutsuki."

"Bite me, Uchiha!"

"I'm sorry, would the both of you like some protection for tonight or are you going bareback?" Asuma asked with a challenging raise of his brow. Haku, Naruto and Sun burst into laughter while the girls of Team RWBY stopped what they were doing to stare at the now red partners. Kurenai clapped a hand on her face before she smacked her fiancé's arm.

"Ruby's only fifteen, Asuma! Watch your mouth!" Kurenai glared at her amused partner with angry red eyes. Asuma held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry," he said. "To keep these rowdy boys in check, you really have to know what makes them shut up. Naruto, Haku, stop laughing or I'll trap you both in another sphere."

Haku and Naruto's mouths snapped shut.

"Blond boy in ice, I doubt you'd like to stay that way for the night," Asuma said to Sun, who lost any sense of humor he had at the thought of being left outside in the cold.

"His name is Sun Wukong," Kurenai said with small frown.

Asuma arched a brow. "What, like Roshi?"

"He's my Grampa!" Sun added.

"Ah." Asuma nodded. "That would make sense. Naruto, break him out and behave yourself or I'll limit you to one bowl of Ramen tonight."

The horror that crossed Naruto's face made Ruby burst into laughter. Ruby's face matched Naruto's when Kurenai spoke up.

"And Ruby, I'll be fixing that sweet tooth problem of yours."

"Serves you right, sis," Yang said with a light chuckle. She rubbed her neck and punched Blake in the shoulder lightly. "Save rough play for the double date, Blake."

Blake glared at her with red cheeks, but kept herself from lashing out while she rubbed her arm. Light or not, Yang's punches hurt. They watched as Naruto walked around and examined the cube of ice that contained his friend. Naruto hummed and pressed his flat palm against one side. The hand moved up, down, left, right and then settled on a spot just above Sun's belt buckle.

"Don't move, or this could _really_ hurt." Naruto warned his friend and Sun became absolutely still. Naruto brought his hand back and clenched it into a fist, before it swung forward and struck the ice. Naruto pulled his hand away from the ice and took a step back as the block fractured. The ice shattered into small portions, each no bigger than a thumb.

"...Okay, that was hot." Yang mused with a grin as she leered at her boyfriend after he freed his friend with one blow. That was more skill than it was strength.

Naruto grinned back at her. "You ain't seen nothing yet, Yang."

"Down boy," Asuma said to his assigned pupil. While the two teams began to talk civilly with one another, he looked to his teammate, partner and fiancé with a raised brow. "So, what do you think Aoba is doing?"

"Most likely finishing the repairs to the dorm," Kurenai said. She shifted uncomfortably. "...Have you seen Gai?"

"Not since Goodwitch let us run off with our teams." Asuma reached into his pocket and pulled out a package of cigarettes before he put one in his mouth. Once it was lit, he took a small drag and then exhaled softly so that the smoke wouldn't rush out in a massive cloud. He looked up at the sky and hummed. "We haven't heard any screams yet, so-"

"OH GOD WHY!?"

"YOSH! FEEL THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH, MY NOBLE STUDENT!"

"Never mind. There it is."

"This is too good! PJ got assigned to Guy!? Oh, I've gotta see this!" Kurama burst into laughter. The Faunus pulled a camera from his pocket and rushed away, his partner not far behind him. Sasuke needed to see if Guy had changed since they left Vacuo – something he doubted – and he wanted to see if Guy's gym class uniform was still mandatory for training.

"Wait for me!" Naruto cried out as he ran after his two friends, grabbing Yang's arm in the process. "This is going to be priceless, come on!"

"Who's Guy?" Sun asked and Haku smiled lightly.

"A very eccentric man from what I've seen." The feminine boy answered the Faunus. Haku patted Sun on the shoulder. "I think you'll enjoy it."

"Probably." Sun agreed with a grin as they followed after the rest of Team NHKS and Team RWBY.

A second after the teens had vanished, Asuma smirked and pulled his cigarette from his mouth. He turned to his partner in everything but name and arched a brow. "So, what do you think so far?"

"Ozpin was right," Kurenai said with a small frown. She crossed her arms under her chest. "Ruby is very childish, Blake is isolated and distant, Weiss is confidant to the point of arrogance, and Yang is more affected by her mother's disappearance than we had previously thought."

"That's what I figured." Asuma nodded. He let his arm slip around his fiancé's shoulders and smiled at her when she looked up at him. "Good thing they've got you to count on, Kurenai. There's no one I would rather trust with a fresh rookie team than you."

"Better than having them under your care, Smokestack." Kurenai teased.

"Careful. Those are fighting words." Asuma grinned back at her. They shared a quick kiss before Asuma separated from her and they followed after their teams.

* * *

"I was right. This is a _gold mine_!" Kurama squealed as he began to take pictures of Team JNPR while they were all dressed in matching green spandex suits with red bands around their waists and orange leg warmers on. "PJ is never going to live this down."

"Uh-huh, right, PJ..." Naruto mumbled as he stared at Nora and Pyrrha. He grunted when Yang elbowed him and gave her a small glare. "What? Hormones, geez. Can't help myself. Besides, I see you staring at Ren."

"True, but I'm free to ogle what I want, you can't be trusted with wandering eyes." Yang countered with a smirk.

"...That's so not fair."

"That's life for you in a nutshell, Whisker Boy."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Girls get all the luck."

"No, we get periods. It's life's way of maintaining balance." Yang smiled at him.

"True, but still, let's both agree to _try_ not to ogle anyone else when we're doing something together."

"Agreed."

Kurenai stared at the two blonds in disbelief and looked at her fiancé. "Were we ever like that?"

"Us? _No_. No. Not at all. I'm pretty sure you were always trying to kill me for looking at other women or for smoking a cigarette nearly twenty-four seven," Asuma said with a small smirk.

"...Is it wrong that I'm jealous?"

"No, they should be jealous. They'll probably never have makeup sex."

"...True."

"Ah! Asuma! Kurenai! You bring your youthful students to join mine!" Guy beamed boisterously. "If Aoba was here, we could let them see a true team powered by the Springtime of Youth!"

"Just heard your training session and came to investigate, Guy," Asuma said. The new teacher shrugged and punched his student in the gut, causing him to crumple to the ground and wheeze.

"Work it, PJ! Work it!" Kurama cackled as he continued to snap pictures like a professional. "Give us a roar, PJ, yeah!"

"Kurama...really likes taking pictures," Ruby said softly as she scooted closer to Weiss and _away_ from the Faunus. Weiss only stared and nodded. Both Sun and Blake had their eyes glued to the 'spar' occurring in front of them, the former with a wide excited grin and the latter with narrowed eyes.

"Guys, help!" A slightly scuffed up and bruised Jaune decreed from the ground. He tried to army crawl towards his sidelined teams. "Tag me! Tag me!"

Ren looked at Pyrrha. "Think he's had enough?"

"I'm sure he could go one more round," Pyrrha said with a small smile.

"Pyrrha, why?!" Jaune cried as a hand grabbed onto his ankle and dragged him away from the side.

"It's for your own good, Jaune." Pyrrha and Ren drawled while Nora held up a sign.

"Go Jaune! Bust his kneecaps!"

"Nora, tag-gah!" Jaune was cut off as a muscled arm wrapped around his neck.

"You know what? I think today is probably the best day of my life so far," Naruto said with a smile. Yang turned to her boyfriend and arched a brow.

"Really? Why's that?" She asked while Jaune screamed and cried in pain in front of them.

"Well, for one thing, I got to spar against one of my favorite teachers from Kon Academy again," Naruto said as he nodded back towards Asuma. "Managed to witness first hand destruction between two girls. Got to see two girls in skintight clothes – ow, just saying."

Yang crossed her arms under her bust and frowned slightly after she had punched him in the shoulder. "Is that all then?"

Naruto smirked at her and let an arm slip around her waist. "No, best part about today? I got a total babe for a girlfriend."

Yang grinned back and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Don't you forget it, Whisker Boy."

They shared a kiss that would've deepened had their respective assigned teachers not pull them apart. The two blondes grinned at one another as they were dragged to opposite sides of the sidelines.

Kurama had a wide grin on his face as Guy called an end to the spar and Team JNPR gathered around their leader. He looked through his camera pictures and his eyes, concealed by his sunglasses, gleamed.

"Best. Day. Ever."

* * *

 **AN: So introduces Team KAAG and we were partially introduced to Roshi Wukong – And since this is a Naruto Cross and not a DB/DBZ cross, I think you know what Roshi I'm talking about. However, there are similarities between the two name sharing pervy old men.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed the filler!**

 **RESNIRB!**


	11. Nerds

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XI: Nerds**

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sore for the rest of my life and part of my death." Jaune groaned as he walked towards the cafeteria with his team. It had been a week since he'd been introduced to his new appointed teacher and since day one, he'd regretted it. He glared at Pyrrha when she let out a small giggle. "Some partner you are. Leaving me to take most of Professor Guy's beatings..."

"You asked me to help you train, Jaune. Sometimes training is just that." Pyrrha smiled at her partner and team leader. She gave him a small pat on the shoulder, which made him wince. "Besides, you were the one who informed him that you didn't know what your Semblance was yesterday, not me."

"An admission I will regret for all eternity." Jaune grumbled as he hung his head. He looked over at his other teammates, giving the two long-time friends a small glare. "And what's your excuses for leaving me high and dry like that?"

"I can barely breath in that suit," Ren said with a shrug. "Why try to fight?"

"You were doing fine until he got you with that kick to the head!" Nora smiled at her team leader. She wagged a finger at him. "I keep telling you to aim for his knees, not my fault you didn't listen."

"First of all, he kicked me in the head at the start of the fight...I think. It's all kind of fuzzy after nearly a week of beatings," Jaune said as he rubbed his head. He shook himself out of the thoughts and glared at Nora. "Secondly, I could barely hear anyone over the sounds of my own screams."

"You should've stopped screaming then," Nora said with a simple shrug.

Jaune glowered at her and then at Ren. "Does she even _know_ what pain is?"

Ren shrugged. "It's hard to tell sometimes."

"Duh, it's an unpleasant feeling caused by intense or damaging stimuli, like stubbing your toe or getting walloped by a hammer." Nora scoffed. Her teammates gave her odd looks and she pouted. "Hey, I'm not dumb, just a bit...um...Ren?"

"Distracted?"

"Yeah, distracted! Thanks Ren!"

Pyrrha shook her head and gave Jaune a smile. "Look on the bright side, Jaune. If Professor Guy continues this way, you'll discover your Semblance in no time."

"That or I'll die trying."

"That's the spirit!" Pyrrha beamed.

"I swear you wouldn't know what sarcasm was even if it hit you in the face." Jaune grumbled sourly as he pushed the cafeteria door open. He was moments from getting in line behind his teammates when an arm slung itself around his shoulders.

"PJ! How's life with Guy?" Kurama asked, ignoring the pained look that crossed his friend's face. Jaune opened his mouth, but it was covered by Kurama's hand. "Wait, don't tell me." The Faunus held his camera up and gave a fanged grin. "I already have an idea."

"...You're evil." Jaune grumbled. Kurama had done nothing but jeer him on and taunt him with catcalls.

"Am I? Am I really?" Kurama asked.

"Yes."

A brow arched over his sunglasses. "If I was truly that evil, I would've already dispersed copies of this all over the school. Your reputation would be ruined."

"What reputation?" Jaune asked sourly.

"...Hm, touché." Kurama looked at his camera. "So, I can just go ahead and hand these out, right?"

"I thought you didn't like bullying?" Jaune asked.

"I don't. It's a truly detestable act, but this is mere teasing, my friend. And you are my friend, Jaune," Kurama said with a small smile. He patted the sore blond hard on the shoulder. "You just happen to be the lamest of them all."

"Wow, I feel so relieved. Did you hear the sarcasm in that sentence, because I meant it," Jaune said dryly.

"I'm rubbing off on you so well." Kurama sniffed, pocketed his camera and wiped a tear away from his eye. "You make me so proud."

"Shut up, Kurama." Jaune grumbled. He sighed and rubbed his arm. "Besides, those pictures would ruin Pyrrha's rep, too."

"But would that be a bad thing?" Kurama asked. He relaxed and became slightly more serious as he nodded towards the redheaded warrior. "Look at your partner, Jaune, and then look at everyone around her."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, watched her as she spoke to Nora in line, possibly trying to get the girl to eat something other than pancakes. His gaze washed over the lunchroom and he saw many students sneak glances at her and then return to their small groups.

"Okay, so she's popular. Wouldn't that be bad for her if you got those photos out then?" Jaune asked once more.

Kurama sighed and scratched his head. "I keep forgetting that most of the students here have not been taught like I was. Most went to places like Signal or Sanctum."

"Or didn't go at all," Jaune said with a frown.

Kurama nodded to that. "Indeed, but keep in mind that the first Hunters didn't have a school to use as a crutch, Jaune. They had to learn by trial and error, and that usually meant learning from word of mouth about another's death at the hand of a Grimm."

Jaune gave a small smile to that. "Thanks, Kurama. Sorry about the whole sourpuss thing...Getting beat up by Professor Guy-"

" _Professor_? No, don't call him that. Might Guy is _just_ Might Guy. He's not a teacher, er, well, not born to be one, anyway. If it were up to me, I'd ensure he'd have never been a teacher back home," Kurama said with a shudder. "Some of that stuff he had us do was downright crazy."

"...L-like what?" Jaune asked nervously. If the past week was bad, it can't get worse...right?

"I'll let you find out for yourself." Kurama decided after a moment of silence. He smiled at his friend. "Just try to remember he has your best intentions in mind...and maybe go apologize to your team."

"...Okay," Jaune said. He was a bit unnerved and slightly worried by Kurama's choice of words, but did feel bad about the way he'd snapped at his team. It wasn't their fault that they'd been assigned a psycho as a teacher.

* * *

Seated not far from Team RWBY, Kurama watched Jaune talk with his team with a small smile on his face. "He's got maybe three more days before Guy puts him in the emergency room trying to figure out what his Semblance is."

"Three days? Yeah right," Sasuke said as he sat down to join his partner. He had a small black book in his hand and held it in front of him like one of their old professors used to. "He'll be in the hospital by tomorrow night for sure."

"How are you walking around with that book and not getting creamed for it?" Kurama asked.

Sasuke tapped the spine with his finger. "Covered the title and author. People who ask what it is, I tell them its called _Duality_. When asked who wrote the book, I tell them the author is Anonymous."

"...But what if someone tries to read it over your shoulder?" Kurama asked.

"Please, my sense of awareness is far too high to-"

"' _Oh, Nimato! Yes! There! Right there!'_ "

Sasuke snapped his book shut and turned to glare at his team's leader as well as the whiskered teen's snickering partner. He looked around nervously and sighed in relief when he realized no one had heard Naruto's reading of the current scene.

"I hate you, Uzumaki. So much."

"Sorry for the blue balls, but Asuma wanted us to eat fast and then join him by Ozpin's office. Apparently some big brass is heading in from Atlas," Naruto said as he let his hands intertwine behind his head.

Sasuke arched his brow as he tucked his book into his vest. "And we've been requested because...why?"

"Asuma said it was because the crow flies far when it has a message to deliver," Naruto said with a shrug. "Personally, I'd rather stick around and eat with Yang, but with the amount of trouble we're in already, we should probably lay low for a bit and -" Naruto shuddered. "Obey the rules."

"...By Oum's will I'd never thought I'd hear you say that." Kurama mused.

A pie suddenly flew into Weiss' face and Team NHKS looked over at Team JNPR. Jaune and Pyrrha were as shocked as they were while Ren had his face in his hands and Nora pointed at her partner accusingly.

"...So much for that whole 'lay low' thing," Haku said dryly.

"FOOD FIGHT!"

"RUN AWAY!"

"MOMMY!"

Kurama clasped his hands together and ducked his head down. "Please don't let this be like the Lunchroom of Doom incident."

"Yeah, uh, I think this can only end one way. So, as team leader I strongly suggest we only observe...From the high ground!" Naruto declared with a finger thrust in the air. While the other students fled the cafeteria, the whiskered blond and his team relocated to the banisters above, seated comfortably as they looked down at the two warring teams.

"...Team JNPR really built that castle fast." Haku noted.

"Meh, I've seen better," Naruto said with a shrug. He tilted his head as Nora started to sing. "If she's Queen, does that make Ren her King or her Knight?"

"First of all, Ren's a Bishop," Kurama said as he held a finger up while his other hand held his Scroll up to record the scene. "He's too fast and swift to be a Knight. If anything, Pyrrha is the Knight."

"And Jaune?" Sasuke asked.

Kurama shrugged. "PJ's either the Rook or Pawn."

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" Ruby declared with a finger pointed at the opposing team while she held a carton of milk in her other hand. The carton was crushed as she narrowed her eyes and bared a fist to Team JNPR. "It will be...delicious!"

"Yeah!" Weiss, Blake and Yang declared with their fists raised.

"Off with their heads!" Nora shouted with a cackle as she dropped down from her castle.

"Damn, those are some juicy melons," Naruto said as he stared down at Yang. He looked up when he felt stares from his teammates. "What? Those watermelons that Yang is destroying are _huge_!"

"Oh, you meant the fruit. We thought you were talking about something else," Sasuke said.

Naruto frowned in confusion. "Like what?"

"...Oh, look, Sun brought a friend," Kurama said to change the subject. He was not going to be subject to a 'we were staring at your girlfriend's breasts' conversation with his team leader. Probably wouldn't be good for team dynamics.

"I wonder who that guy is – Ouch, that had to hurt," Naruto said as he watched his girlfriend take a long piece of rolled bread to the gut. "And they say that breadsticks are nothing but empty calories."

"Interesting use of ketchup," Haku said thoughtfully. He winced when Ren slipped and crashed into a bunch of tables. "That'll hurt in the morning."

Kurama nodded in agreement and watched Nora perform an impressive dismount that ripped a pole from the wall and stabbed it into a watermelon to make an impromptu hammer. "Six out of ten. Dismount was a bit shaky and there's a perfectly good ham much closer to her. Those are far more durable than watermelons."

"Tell that to Ruby," Naruto said as he watched his fellow team leader go flying after Nora nailed her with the watermelon hammer.

"Alright, seven point three, but I won't raise it any higher."

"Since when did the lunchroom serve swordfish?" Sasuke asked in bewilderment.

"It's a special today," Haku said with a frown. "And I was looking forward to my cooked bass, too."

"Told you to stock up right away, but _no_ ," Naruto said as he crossed his arms. "No one ever listens to me.

"Weiss, no!"

"There goes that support pillar," Sasuke said dryly.

"I think it's for decoration," Kurama said.

Naruto waved the two off. "Guys, shut up! Yang is facing off against Ren...That sonovabitch just snuck a look under her skirt!"

"Easy, Naruto. Yang was the one who decided to kick him." Haku pointed out.

Naruto pouted childishly. "Yeah, but...but that's _my_ job, dammit!"

He perked up when Ren was smacked down into a pile of tables. Team NHKS watched from above as Nora and Yang made eye contact. The two girls rushed at each other and the four boys began to debate the outcome of the matchup.

"Nora's insane strong," Sasuke said. He crossed his arms. "No way she loses."

"Yeah, but this is Yang, we're talking about. The 'Fem-Naruto'," Kurama said dryly. The two looked at their whiskered friend, who cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Go Yang! Kick her ass, babe!"

"...Point taken," Sasuke said as they looked down at the fight.

"Yang may have stronger blows, but I believe Nora has the better reach." Haku surmised. "I'll have to side with Nora on this one. Sorry Naruto."

"Tch, you just watch while Yang kicks Nora's as-!" Naruto's proud and assured retort was cut off as his girlfriend rocketed into him and they both broke through the ceiling.

"...So, yeah, Nora wins. I see it." Kurama amended himself as he and his teammates stared at the hole their friends had made. "Think they hit orbit?"

"Its possible-Whoa! Since when could Nikos do _that_?" Sasuke asked as hundreds of Everyone Loves Grape soda cans were directed by the redheaded beauty to fly at the sausage-armed Blake.

"Since forever," Kurama said dryly. "Her Semblance is polarity."

"Interesting. No wonder she's never been hurt by an opponent in the tournaments and has not missed a throw with her spear," Haku said. "A most effective Semblance in tournament fight, and her control over it is great if she's never lost because of her Aura bar dropping."

"I feel bad for whatever person is put up against her in the Vytal Festival Tournament," Sasuke said. He was unaware that a few miles away, in Vale, a young man with silver hair sneezed and his mint-haired companion teased him.

"Same." Kurama nodded. They grabbed onto the banister when Ruby's hurricane of food made by her Semblance eviscerated Team JNPR. "And the winner is Team RWBY."

"You must admit that Ruby is quite adept with her Semblance as well," Haku said thoughtfully. "I've never seen a person so well trained with her speed."

"Indeed."

The three boys turned to see Asuma standing on a nearby banister, a frown on his face and an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"I believe I told you three to hurry and meet me in Ozpin's office." Asuma arched a brow as the three boys became solemn. He looked around and his frown increased. "Where's Naruto?"

"Probably on the moon by now," Kurama said dryly.

They looked down when the doors slammed open and a furious Glynda Goodwitch, followed by an equally upset Kurenai and Guy, strode in past the two dumbfounded teens that had a front row seat to the food fight. Goodwitch waved her hand as a few plates flew at her, stopping them mid air with her telekinetic abilities that she was never afraid to hide. Another wave set the tables, chairs, soda machines and every other item back in place.

"...That's...concerning." Haku mused.

"Glynda Goodwitch is a highly ranked Huntress for a reason, Haku," Asuma said. He pointed towards the ground. "Now...Move or be moved. Your choice."

Wisely, the three teens dropped down to the ground and landed with little difficulty. Asuma dropped down behind them and nodded to his teammates.

"Children..." Goodwitch began through gritted teeth. "You should _not_ play with your food."

Team JNPR and the three girls of Team RWBY ducked their heads in shame...until Nora burped and the seven teens burst into snickers. Yang and Naruto's abrupt landing between the two groups made more laughter known as the two blondes got to their feet and grinned at each other. Goodwitch scowled and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by another voice.

"Let them be, Glynda." Ozpin advised with a small smile as he watched the two teams interact while Naruto slipped over to his team when he caught Asuma's gaze.

"They're training to be Hunters of Remnant, Professor Ozpin, they cannot act like children." Goodwitch argued.

"Yes, they are...But for now, we'll let them be children and in the meantime, their punishment for this will be decided by their current handlers," Ozpin said to the two teachers, who nodded and approached their teams. He looked over at Asuma and Team NHKS before he left the room. The headmaster turned and started to leave, only to stop when he came across Sun and a teen covered in purple liquid.

"You should probably hurry off to get those washed," Ozpin said to the teen. "I hear Everyone Loves Grape stains."

"Er, uh, yeah, g-good idea." The nervous young man nodded frantically before he grabbed Sun's shoulder and pulled him out of the cafeteria, the monkey-tailed Faunus protesting as he did.

"Asuma, please if you and your team would accompany me to my office?" Ozpin asked while he calmly left the cafeteria, Goodwitch not far behind him. Asuma nodded and led the four teens out after the headmaster.

* * *

"So...What's up, Prof. O?" Naruto asked once the doors to Ozpin's office closed behind his team. Asuma moved to the other side of the room and stood behind Ozpin as the headmaster took a seat behind his desk. Goodwitch was on his right, her Scroll opened and her eyes reading through it carefully.

"I believe that our...first joint problem will soon be resolved," Ozpin said as he prepared himself some tea. "However, I've received dire news from an acquaintance of mine concerning the Fourth War."

Naruto's hands dropped from behind his head and his face grew serious, Kurama scowled and his tail flicked angrily while his arms crossed, Sasuke's hands tightened into fists while he clenched his jaw, and Haku's smile fell as his shoulders tensed.

"Are we certain that they should be informed of this, you aren't–"

"Professor Goodwitch, with all due respect, _I_ was the one that requested that my team was kept informed," Asuma said firmly. His hard gaze met Goodwitch's own unsure one before he looked back at the four boys. "These four boys are probably the _only_ four people in this school with any _real_ interaction with the Fourth War, the White Fang, and what Qrow has dubbed the 'Queen's Scheme'."

Haku furrowed his brow. "Queen's Scheme?"

"Do not worry about it," Asuma said. He lit his cigarette with a match, despite the look of disapproval on Goodwitch's face, and then took a drag before he continued. "What we want you to know is that we've received word from a trusted source that there's a slight possibility that the White Fang and Fourth War are working together."

"That's impossible!" Kurama snarled while his sunglasses flashed red. "The Fourth War was established to end the lives of _all_ Faunus, the White Fang especially."

"The White Fang aren't too fond of Humans, either," Sasuke said with a scowl. "They're complete opposites in goals. What would they gain by working together?"

"...Who would ever expect them to work together?" Naruto proposed with a frown. His teammates looked at him in confusion while Ozpin gained a small smile. "It's nearly perfect, but the fact that this was discovered by an outsider means that it was not intentional. There's a third party, has to be, for this to be discovered. Both groups are now part of a grander scheme...the 'Queen's Scheme."

"We believe so, yes," Ozpin said. He took a sip of his tea and sighed as he set his cup down. "And that is why we are trusting your team with this information. The four of you have the most knowledge on the Fourth War in all of the student body, mostly because three of you have been personally affected by their attacks and the fourth - "

"What Haku has done in the past shall stay there unless _he_ says otherwise." Naruto cut in firmly as he glared at the headmaster. Naruto put his hand on his partner's shoulder, and the morose look that had overcome him drained away. "I don't care if he was part of the Fourth War, a Faunus Rights assembly attack, or even a robbery with that dip Torchwick. Haku's _my_ partner and friend and it's my duty as his partner and team leader to trust him to tell us about himself when the time comes that he sees fit to do so."

"We're not here to learn about our teammate," Sasuke said firmly.

"Get on with the real issue already," Kurama said, his scowl still present on his face.

The three adults were silent after the interjection and strong opinions of the three from Vacuo. Ozpin, after a moment, lifted his mug to take a sip and conceal a smile. When he placed his mug back down, Ozpin's neutral look had returned.

"Fair enough," he said. "The reason you four are here is that you four have the most experience concerning the Fourth War and are certainly among the top tier as one of the best teams to start in this Academy. If not for some, ahem, property damage and tomfoolery, I'd daresay you'd be among the best in the world."

The four teens grinned at the praise.

Ozpin folded his hands together as he continued. "Therefore, it is your duty as one of the greatest teams to ensure the safety of Vale during the upcoming Festival. Your punishments have been revoked and as headmaster, I authorize you to revoke or instill similar punishments with the permission of your assigned watcher. You, Team NHKS, will be responsible for ensuring this school's safety from threats both within and external."

"Thank you, Professor." The four boys nodded.

"Be safe, be careful, and be mindful of everything and _everyone_ around you," Ozpin said. He turned to look at Asuma. "With this said, I leave them in your care, Asuma."

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin." The teacher nodded before he looked at the four boys. "Let's go."

"One final word of advice," Ozpin said before they could leave. "The first students from Haven should be arriving sometime today. And I know that the students from Atlas along with their headmaster, General James Ironwood, should be here as well. I believe you ought to know."

"We'll keep it in mind, Prof. O." Naruto nodded before he led his team out and Asuma followed them.

Goodwitch huffed and folded her arms under her bust. "I don't agree with this. They're just as young and prone to trouble as the girls in Team RWBY. They should not be given such power."

"I agree, but what power have I given them really?" Ozpin asked. He stood and went to his window in the clock tower, staring out at the clouds. "Those four boys are special, but make no mistake, they will not abuse the right I've given them. Ms. Belladonna is likely still troubled from the events of the night on the docks. Her team will assist her in quelling these doubts or concerns by any means necessary, even if that means going behind our and Ms. Yuuhi's backs. The connection they have with Team NHKS will allow them to do such things with a loosely observed permission."

"...I thought James was the one with the military expertise," Goodwitch said as she joined her friend by the window.

"Mm, indeed he is." Ozpin smiled secretively as he spotted a gleam in the distance. "However, every good general has a good intelligence officer beside him."

"Is that what you think yourself to be?" Goodwitch asked. "An intelligence officer?"

"Hardly." Ozpin scoffed. He took a sip from his mug and sighed. "I'm a mere teacher, no more and no less."

* * *

"Haku, find out everything you can on the recent movements and attacks by the Fourth War over the past ten years. I want patterns of attacks, notable members, anything we can use." Naruto instructed his partner as they entered Beacon's library building. After they'd changed out of their school uniforms in their refurbished dorm room, Asuma had suggested the four went off to 'study' while he prepared with the other teachers for the students of other schools' arrival. Naruto, in a rather out of character moment, led his team straight to the Library.

"On it." Haku willed a Mirror to manifest in front of him before he disappeared off to the Current Events section.

"Kurama, you're going to be checking and double checking the background of every student that's gone into and out of the guest schools over the past three years."

"You spoil me, Naruto. I'll have their birthdays marked on eight separate calendars by the time everyone else is done." Kurama chuckled and interlaced his hands together before he cracked his knuckles. He turned towards the Records department, eager to do some hardcore hacking into the systems of other countries' school databases.

"Sasuke, I want you to memorize every nook, cranny or crawlspace that can be found in any building that the students are going to room in."

Sasuke arched a brow. "What are you going to be doing?"

"Um, duh." Naruto looked to his left where two teams were seated and then grinned at Sasuke's look of disbelief. "What? Come on, man, I gotta make it seem like we're all still playing it cool. And you're a dick, so you're automatically suspicious."

"You just want to make out with your girlfriend."

"Those are your words, not mine." Naruto grinned and patted Sasuke's shoulders. "C'mon, don't act like you hate it. You love crawling around in those dark spaces, you antisocial vampire, you."

"First of all, that's not even a denial. Secondly, I don't _mind_ it if its needed, but I don't _enjoy_ it. Those are two different things. And finally, you owe me a favor in return," Sasuke said firmly with a poke in his team leader's chest. "A big one."

"Deal." Naruto grinned as Sasuke walked off. "You're a pal, Sasuke!"

"Whatever, Uzumaki. Be sure to keep it sacred and keep it safe," Sasuke said over his shoulder while he walked out of the library.

Naruto grinned as he snuck up on Yang, who was relaxed as can be while she played a board game of some sort with her team. Ruby, seated across from Yang, was far too engrossed in her hand of cards to notice Naruto. Bell, on Yang's right, was either just as focused as Ruby or lost in her own thoughts. And finally Weiss, on Yang's left, looked like she was trying to figure everything out.

Heck, the only one who seemed to notice him was Ren, and the boy gave him a small look of annoyance when he did.

Not that Naruto cared. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, unless someone empowered by RFF (Righteous Feminine Fury) said otherwise.

Ren was not one of those people.

"Hm, I'd use that one next," Naruto said as he peered over his girlfriend's shoulder at her hand. He never actually played _Remnant: The Game_ before, but he'd had a good idea of what needed to be done. However, this was not important, for there was hilarity to be had.

All of the members of Team RWBY and most of Team JNPR, save for the annoyed Ren, jumped at his voice. Yang's cards jostled from her hands and Naruto caught some before they landed while he laughed lightly.

"Geez, Whisker Boy, a little warning before you do something like that!" Yang pouted at her boyfriend and snatched her cards out of his hand before she adjusted them and the girls fixed their game.

"But then it's not a surprise, Yang," Naruto said. He looked at the board thoughtfully and interlaced his hands behind his head. "So, who's turn and whose winning?"

"Ruby's turn and Blake is winning," Yang said with a small glower directed at her partner.

The disguised Faunus blinked. "I am?"

"Uh, yeah," Ruby said with a frown. She looked at her hands and smirked. "Okay, I think I'm ready...Yang Xiao-Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!"

"Bring it on!" Yang returned heatedly as she pumped her fist.

"I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Ruby cried as she held the card above her head.

Yang gasped and put a hand on her chest in horror.

"Looks like I get to fly over your Ursai and attack your walls directly," Ruby said as she began to animatedly discuss and act out her attack. "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only lasts one turn."

"...Obviously the simulation that should be used in the real world," Naruto said lowly while his girlfriend smirked at her younger sister. He shook his head and decided to look for something to read since Yang was a bit preoccupied with her game to start making out. He never did deny Sasuke, after all.

"I'll admit, that was pretty sneaky, sis," Yang said as she set her hand down and picked up one card slowly. Her gaze became hard and narrowed as she revealed the card. "But you just activated my trap card!"

Naruto frowned as he flipped through a nearby copy of the hit comic series _Little Kuriboh_. "Where have I heard that line before...?"

"You don't mean!?" Ruby squeaked.

"That's right, _Giant Nevermore_!" Yang declared as she slammed her fist on the table.

 _Note to self, don't play board games with Yang. She gets_ very _into it._ Naruto mused as he turned the page and chuckled. "Heh, the sun will rise. Oh, Timothy Taylor, you make me laugh."

Naruto listened to the girls play their game and snickered when Weiss admitted she didn't know what was going on. After Yang explained it – along with not too subtly warning that she "will not forget a declaration of war" – and a teary Ruby said Weiss could win in three turns, Sneeze started to cackle. Naruto looked up in mild alarm as the girl went slightly power mad. Naruto then chuckled when Yang crushed those plans mercilessly and the two partners embraced tearfully.

"I hate these cruel games of emotions we play."

"Stay strong, Weiss."

"Shut up, don't touch me."

Naruto snickered when Weiss hugged Ruby tighter despite her words.

Yang turned and smirked at her partner. "Alright Blake, you're up."

"Uh, yeah...I'm sorry, what am I doing?"

"What a riveting and attention focused group you are." Naruto drawled. Yang gave him a look and he ducked back into his comic with a small brown fuzz ball on the cover. "Shutting up."

"Hey, Ice Queen, mind if I join you?" Jaune asked as he walked over from his table after Yang explained the game once more to her partner.

"You're already losing points, man," Naruto said as he turned the page in his comic.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"If I have to explain it, then you won't learn."

"That doesn't make sense!"

"You have to look underneath the underneath."

"How does that help!?"

"Yo, little dude!" The teens looked up as Sun approached them with a wide grin on his face and a preppy dressed boy with blue hair that was shaved on the sides and goggles on his head. "How you been, man?"

"Been fine, Sun. Who's the nerd?" Naruto asked with a nod towards the boy with blue hair.

"I prefer the term intellectual." The blue haired goggle-wearing boy corrected with a raised finger and a frown on his face.

"Prefer it all you want, but know that denial is an ugly thing." Naruto nodded at his own sage advice.

"That's true," Sun said. He grunted when the blue-haired boy punched his arm. "Ow, what? Just saying." Sun rubbed his arm and looked at the gathered group. "Right, well, Yang. Ruby. Blake. Ice Queen."

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Weiss asked with a frown.

"Because its an apt title?" Naruto suggested dryly. He shrugged when she glared at him. "What? Kurama's not here and he'd chew me out if I hadn't said anything."

"How would he know?" Pyrrha asked.

Naruto gave her a smirk. "He's _that_ good."

"Anyway, guys, I'd like to formally introduce you to an old friend and my partner." Sun continued with a grin to the blue-haired teen.

"I thought libraries were supposed to be for reading?" The goggled teen asked with a frown.

Ren threw his hands up. "Thank you!"

"Pancakes!" Nora snorted out as Ren's proclamation woke her from her dreams.

Sun gave Neptune a quick glare. "Shut up, don't be a nerd."

"Intellectual, okay? Thank you." Neptune corrected firmly.

"You're a nerd, accept it and move on with your life." Naruto muttered as he turned the page in his comic and snickered. "Heh...He's got weird hair."

"I'm Neptune," the teen said with a small wave.

Weiss set her cards down and gave him a welcoming smile. "Really? Where are you from?"

"Haven." Neptune grinned back and walked over to her side. "And I don't believe I've caught your name...Snow Angel."

"Oh come on – are you kidding me?" Jaune crossed his arms and grumbled when Weiss flushed lightly.

"Ha! Irony." Naruto snorted and turned the page of his comic. He then grunted when Yang delivered a quick smack to his stomach.

"I'm Weiss."

"Pleasure to meet you."

Sun leaned over to Blake with a smile. "So, I never took you as the board game playing type."

"Right...I actually think I'm done playing. I'll see you guys later," Blake said as she set her cards down and walked off. Sun looked back at the group with a confused frown.

Nora grinned back at him and held her arms up in a 'what can you do' manner. "Women, am I right?"

"...Right...Always a pleasure to see the 'Love Doctor' in action," Neptune said with a smile to his friend. Sun glared at him lightly.

"Looks like you have an opening now," Jaune said as he moved to sit down. Weiss rose and followed after Blake with Ruby in tow. Jaune hung his head and looked at Yang. "Well, at least we can start a new game, right?

"Nah, I'm just going to win anyway," Yang said with a shrug as she tossed her cards on the table. "I'm out. Come on, Whisker Boy. I owe you for the catch earlier."

Naruto grinned and tossed his comic behind him when Yang grabbed him by his belt. He looked over his shoulder and gave Sun a thumb's up. The blond Faunus returned the gesture and grin before he smacked Neptune's arm lightly.

"See? That's what confidence gets you," Sun said as he gestured to the disappearing blonde couple.

"...How'd a guy like that get a babe like her?" Neptune mumbled with a frown.

Jaune sighed as he and Pyrrha cleaned up the game Team RWBY left behind. "I ask myself the same question every day, man."

* * *

"So all you did today was make out with your girlfriend?" Kurama asked as he followed his team leader back to their assigned and refurbished room. Haku and Sasuke had already returned from their respective orders and it wasn't until after Yang was called back by her team did Naruto realize that Sasuke had sent him a message about retrieving their wayward Faunus friend.

It literally took Naruto two hours after he'd gotten the message to drag Kurama _out_ of the library. And after that, it took ten minutes to placate the Faunus after he'd learned what the whiskered blond had done for most of the day.

"And met one of Sun's teammates," Naruto said, for the fifteenth time. He interlaced his hands behind his head. "Bit of a nerd, that one. His name was Neptune. Had blue hair."

"...Blue?" Kurama asked with a raised brow.

Naruto nodded. "Yep."

"...No freaking way."

"I'm telling you, it was as blue as the ocean."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Kurama scoffed. "No one dyes their hair blue."

"I don't think it was dyed, dude."

"What, you think it's a Sakura-like thing?" Kurama asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe."

They rounded the corner to their bedroom just in time for them to hear Ruby welcome someone to Beacon. Kurama arched a brow as he looked over the newcomers in the Haven Academy uniforms, black long-sleeved militarized tops with matching pants or pleated skirts. He recognized each one from their files, but their files were _way_ too clean, even for Haven.

The first on the right, directly in front of Kurama, was a teenage boy with styled dark silver hair. He was well built and had features similar to Sasuke. The look in his grey eyes made Kurama's hidden gaze narrow. Those were the eyes of a killer, someone who was familiar with the ugly side of reality. His file said his name was Mercury Black, and that was the one thing about it that Kurama believed was true.

The next, a teenage woman – she _was_ a woman, her gaze and posture screamed mental and emotional maturity – that had amber eyes with a similar gleam that Mercury had. Her black hair cascaded down over her left eye and rested over her left shoulder. She had a sultry smirk on her face before she looked surprised at the two new arrivals in front of her. Kurama recognized her as Cinder Falls, again, the only thing in her file he believed to be honest. Well, that and her height-No, wait, those are heels.

The last was a teenage girl with dark skin and rounded red eyes, eyes that lacked the killer's hardness that her two companions had. Kurama was still wary of the mint-haired girl. Her eyes weren't those of a killer's, but those of a thief. Like himself, the girl had eyes that soaked up every detail it could find and store it away for later after a second's glance. However, that gaze was not present in them now, for her eyes were locked with Naruto's, the whiskered teen's eyes equally wide.

"...E-Emerald." Naruto breathed out.

"Naruto..." Emerald's voice was just as soft.

Kurama looked between the two and arched a brow.

This...was not good.

* * *

 **AN: BUM-BUM-BUM! What a twist?! Will I reveal more about the past in the next one? Tune in to find out!**

 **RELONGA!**


	12. Irresistible

**AN: Sorry about the repost, FF acted buggy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XII: Irresistible**

* * *

"An old friend of yours, Emerald?" Cinder Fall asked the dumbstruck girl. To say she was just as intrigued by this discovery as Kurama was an understatement. Kurama could see it in her eyes. She was not only intrigued, but highly entertained.

 _This woman is dangerous_. Kurama thought as he felt out the three's Aura reserves. His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. _Yep. Extremely dangerous._

"Emerald? Yo, Cinder asked you something," Mercury Black said when they didn't get a response. He looked at her with a smirk and then at the blond. "You guys got history, I take it?"

"Something like that, yeah," Naruto said softly before he stepped around the shocked girl and went towards his team's bedroom with Kurama not far behind him. Naruto stopped with his hand on the door and his hair shadowed his eyes. "You should get to the other dorms before a teacher reports that you're missing."

The door was opened and the two teens disappeared into the room before the mint-haired girl, Emerald, could say something as she turned to stop him.

"Ouch, talk about getting the cold shoulder." Mercury mused with a smirk. He ducked as a lien card flew past his head and shaved a few hairs off of his head before it imbedded itself in the wall. "Yikes. What's got you so ruffled? Get dumped by the wannabe hero?"

"Mercury, shut up before I rip your tongue out." Emerald glared at the teen with narrowed eyes before she walked away with her head slightly hung.

Mercury tucked his hands into his pockets. "Yep, she got dumped."

"It's a wonder that you're still single, Mercury, really it is." Cinder rolled her eyes as she followed after her fellow female.

Mercury frowned and followed after her. "Hey, what is that supposed to mean?"

He didn't receive an answer.

* * *

"So, want to fill me in on what the hell just happened out there?" Kurama asked his team leader after he shut the door behind them. Haku and Sasuke looked up with confusion written on their faces.

"Not now, Kurama." Naruto mumbled as he sat down on the edge of his bed. He dropped his head into his hands.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

Kurama scowled and pointed at the door. "Uzumaki knows three people who _say_ they're from Haven, but from what documents I could find on them, that ain't the truth!"

"What documents could you find?" Haku asked.

"Any and all required to enter into a school. Good average grades and health reports along with their fighting styles."

Haku frowned. "Is that wrong?"

Kurama scowled. "It's all _too_ average, Haku. Even some kids who are _average_ or blend into the crowd have something off about them, something that can make them stand out. Those three? They had not missed a day of class due to sickness, but never got an award for being present."

"Or maybe they ran out?" Sasuke suggested. "Maybe you made a mistake?"

"No. No fucking way." Kurama glared at him. "This is _me_ , Uchiha. If there's one thing I _don't_ fuck up, it is my information. My _facts_ are what keep me afloat. Those three... _things_ out there are _not_ students!" Kurama glared at his seated leader. "And I want to know _why_ one of _them_ knew _your_ name when she is reportedly from _Sanctum_!"

"...She's my ex." Naruto sighed out after a tense moment.

"Don't play with me, Uzumaki!" Kurama growled. "I am _not_ in the mood for jokes!"

"It's not a goddamn joke, Ōtsutsuki!" Naruto snapped back as he shot to his feet. "All those times I told you I've had a girlfriend, guess what? I was being _honest_! I was talking about Emerald!"

"Why the hell should I believe that when this is the first time you've ever gave her name?!"

"Because I didn't want to think about her anymore, all right!?" Naruto balled his hands into fists to the point that his knuckles turned white. He turned away from the Faunus as he continued with a tight voice. "I wasn't...I didn't want to end the relationship."

"...You were in love with her." Haku's statement was soft, but it hit Naruto like a ton of bricks. His eyes squeezed shut and he gave a short nod. Haku walked over to his partner's side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, we don't blame you for falling in love with a girl."

"Speak for yourself." Kurama grumbled as he crossed his arms. He turned away with a scowl when Haku glared at him.

"It's not that," Naruto said softly. He looked at Haku with pained eyes, tears barely contained within them. "...I was so close. So _close_ to being done. To forgetting about her."

"You idiot." Naruto looked at Sasuke when he spoke. "You never forget your first girlfriend." Sasuke shook his head. He crossed his arms and leaned against the foot of his bed. "The first girl you truly love, that you really have feelings for...that doesn't just go away. It's impossible. A part of you will _always_ love her because she was the first to show you that you can."

Kurama shook his head. "Wow, Uchiha, your smut must've gotten to your brain."

"Shut up, Kurama. Like you're one to talk. When's the last time you had a real emotional connection with a girlfriend?" Sasuke asked with a frown directed at his partner.

Kurama arched a brow and pursed his lips together. "...Emotional only? No physical?"

"Emotional only."

"...All right, fine, call me an emotional virgin then, whatever." Kurama scoffed and leaned against the wall.

"If you're not going to help, maybe you should prepare yourself for bed," Haku said lowly.

"...Yeah, fine." Kurama muttered as he grabbed his clothes and stopped at the bathroom door before he looked at Naruto. "Once this...whatever is over, you're going to tell me everything you know about that girl and what she knows about you."

"Go!" Haku barked.

"Fine! Geez, for Oum's sake, I'm going!" Kurama grumbled as he ducked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Freaking sociopath." Sasuke mumbled as he shook his head. He watched Haku guide Naruto away from the bathroom door and over to their side of the room. When Naruto was seated on Haku's bed across from him, Sasuke leaned forward. "Naruto. You're my friend and more importantly our team leader. We _need_ you to get ahold of yourself."

"I will, I just...I wasn't expecting her to be right _there_ when I turned around the corner. I mean goddamn, she was right freaking there! Like, a few hours ago Yang and I were just...Oh, god, Yang." Naruto groaned into his hand. "Shit... how do I explain this to her? _Do_ I even explain this to her?"

"Knowing how Yang acts over her friends and family, I'm afraid of what she would do if she discovered there was a girl on campus who had broken her recently obtained boyfriend's heart." Haku mused. He looked at Naruto with a confidant smile. "I wouldn't go telling her right off the bat. Perhaps wait until after the festival ends and Emerald leaves Vale. I'd rather not get our recently revoked punishments back."

"You're talking like this girl will leave Vale after the festival. Remember, Kurama said she's _not_ a student and I'm inclined to believe that much. It's best to rip the bandage off in one go then to try to slowly remove it." Sasuke warned cautiously. "If Yang really does care about you, she'll probably be more interested in keeping your attention _on_ her and _off_ of the old girlfriend."

Naruto sighed and rubbed his head. "Great, anything else you guys want to know?"

"Well, remember that question Sun asked you?" Haku asked.

"Which one?"

"Have you ever had sex with your ex-girlfriend?"

"...Yeah..."

"...On second thought, you should tell Yang." Haku decided. This girl screwed his friend physically and emotionally, she was _not_ getting away with that while Haku had anything to say about it.

Sasuke shook his head. "No way, if she finds this out she'll probably try to jump him in public. Tell her once Emerald disappears."

Naruto groaned and flopped back on the bed. "Could you guys offer any more contradicting advice? Oum, when did life become so complicated?"

"When you turned sixteen," Sasuke said flatly.

"Isn't that how old you and Sakura were when you both-?"

"Shut up, Naruto, before I give you a _real_ reason to cry."

Haku sighed. "Well, I suppose we're just going to act like this never happened then?"

"Duh, we're guys." "Kind of goes without saying." Sasuke and Naruto agreed.

"Just so we're clear."

* * *

That night, Naruto stared at the ceiling as he thought about the dilemma that faced him in the morning. He'd told Kurama, Haku and Sasuke everything about his relationship with Emerald. At the initial start of the relationship she'd requested, for reasons he didn't know but now suspected led to nothing good, that he kept their meetings secret and that she'd determine when and where they would meet. All hush-hush like, and the thrill was awesome.

The sex that came around a month later wasn't bad either. The thrill was increased tenfold with that aspect thrown in.

Then the emotions started to build. Emerald let him take her out, let herself be seen with him by others, but still insisted his friends never discover them. That he tell no one and that he use a fake name when they were out. They dined in often, always at his place, and he'd have to make up some excuse to his friends afterwards that he felt horrible about. Looking back, it wasn't an ideal relationship, but then again, it was his first.

Naruto was just stoked to have a pretty girl who was willing to spend time with him in all the ways a teenage boy wanted.

And Emerald seemed to really like him then, too.

So when she suddenly up and dumped Naruto a year before he graduated, it stupefied him. He begged and pleaded and all that cliché crap that happened in the romantic movies they watched. He wanted to know what he'd done wrong and her answer hurt more than giving no answer at all.

" _Nothing_." Her voice was cold and Naruto remembered staring at her back with tears pouring down his cheeks. " _You didn't do anything wrong. And that's the problem._ "

Then she left while he stood there, to shocked and heartbroken to say anything to try and stop her.

Gone from Naruto's life for a whole year, practically two – right after he'd just hooked up with a new, awesome, funny and sexy girl that seemed to really like him as much as he did her – and then she showed up at _Beacon_ of all places as an _exchange_ student!

Life really was a bitch sometimes.

Naruto's life was finally getting back together. He was training to be a Huntsman, _leading_ his own team even! He had found new friends and even gained a third best friend in Haku, his partner since day one. He got to meet his childhood pen pal in person! He'd found himself a _Yang_ el to call his girlfriend and damn could she kiss! Not to mention her legs were creamy, her eyes were mesmerizing and her smile was beautiful...

Ahem, anyway, the point is it was all going well – so freaking well! – and then _she_ showed up in his life again.

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes. "What the hell am I supposed to tell Yang?"

Silence answered him, and it made Naruto extremely uncomfortable.

He never was one for silence. He thrived in noise. He _loved_ attention, _lived_ for it at one point. In a way he still did.

Naruto started to fiddle with his parents' wedding bands. He held them up and stared at them in the darkness while the soft even breathing of his team slowly soothed him to sleep.

"What would you guys have me do?" Naruto wondered. He closed his eyes and let his hand rest on his chest, gripped around the rings.

 _If there was ever a time I really wished you guys were alive, it would be now. I could really use some parental wisdom right now._

* * *

"Poor Jaune, Sneeze must have been colder than usual today," Naruto said as he watched the boy slink out of Professor Port's class with Haku at his side.

"It would seem so." Haku agreed. He watched with a raised brow as Yang blew Naruto a quick kiss before she followed her team back towards their dorm, while Naruto merely smiled at her. "I take it you've yet to tell Yang about your problem?"

"It's not a problem, so why make it one? We used to date, she broke it off and I've moved on," Naruto said with a shrug. "I don't want to make a big deal out of it and I doubt Emerald does too. We just didn't expect to see each other. All I have to do if I don't want to blow this is avoid her and pretend I don't know her when I can't."

"...I believe that is a poor decision."

"Yeah, well, it's mine to make."

Haku sighed. "Very well...But when this backfires, don't blame me when I say I told you so."

"If, Haku. _If_ it backfires." Naruto corrected with a raised finger and a grin. He interlaced his hands behind his head and began to walk towards the dorms. "So, want to go surprise Team RWBY with their permission slips for a night on Vale?"

Haku followed his teammate across campus with pursed lips. As they walked Haku observed various teams and groups of students. He disliked what he saw. His fellow Beacon students were tense as they passed by, all unnerved by the Atlesian forces that had been using Beacon as an impromptu base. The students from Haven fared no better, equally tense as though they expected to be attacked by someone. Eyes were shifty everywhere and tensions were high.

"The smallest thing could set off a fight," Naruto said, as though he'd been reading his partner's mind. Haku glanced at him and noted that he'd not lost his relaxed posture nor had his smile died down in the slightest.

"I'm astounded that you can be so relaxed with all this tension around us," Haku said softly. His gaze went to a couple of Haven students that walked by and narrowed slightly when he noticed them point at Naruto and whisper.

"They're debating whether or not I'm a Faunus."

Haku arched a brow. "How did you know that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time someone did that."

"...The birthmarks?"

"Scars." Naruto corrected. He grinned over at his partner. "What? You think I was born with these chick magnets? Come on, that'd be weird."

"As opposed to being born with silver eyes or blue hair?" Haku countered.

"Those are rare, yeah, but not uncommon. Science can explain that. Facial things like mine? Nah, not so common. Even Faunus don't have 'whiskers'. Got these bad boys on my first birthday." Naruto answered nonchalantly. "Fourth War."

"...I really don't know how you want me to react to that," Haku said honestly.

"Don't want you to react, just wanted you to know." Naruto grinned. "Not everyone wants you to react to their comments, dude. Some just want to inform. Take it with a grain of salt–"

"Watch it!"

"Don't they teach you in Atlas to look where you're going?"

Naruto and Haku looked off to the side where four familiar Beacon boys faced off against a Team from Atlas, based on their white school uniforms anyway. Naruto absentmindedly thought that Atlas' schools needed some color in their attire.

"Oh look, we have the class jerk-off acting like a grade-A dumbass. What a surprise." Naruto drawled as his arms dropped down to his sides. He looked at Haku with an arched brow. "So, shall we go remind Cardin what he's _not_ supposed to do?"

"Gladly." Haku nodded.

The two partners walked over towards the small gathering that was slowly getting circled by teens from both schools. With little effort, Naruto made his way through the crowd with Haku beside him and gave a loud obnoxious sigh that drew the groups' attention.

"Cardin, Cardin, Cardin...Must we _always_ meet like this?" Naruto asked with a perturbed frown directed towards the massive teen. Cardin and his team froze when they saw the calm blond scratch his head. Naruto's eyes snapped open and locked intently on his fellow team leader. "Or do you need a reminder about how you're supposed to treat our guests?"

Cardin had a visible gulp before he looked around and took notice of everyone watching. He collected himself and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked away.

"Tch, whatever, Uzumaki. C'mon, guys, we got better things to do." Cardin told his team, who eagerly followed him through the crowd and _away_ from Naruto. The crowd let out mumbled disappointments and slowly dispersed while Naruto smirked.

"And they say old dogs can't learn new tricks." The whiskered blond turned to the Haven group and gave a small wave. "Hi-

"We had that, Blondie!" One of the girls from the Haven group, the same one that had shouted before, interrupted him. Naruto looked down her with an arched brow as he noted her pink eyes, which contrasted with her white attire and the short black hair that fell from her head. What he couldn't get over was her stature. The girl barely came up to his shoulders, she was so short! Even Ruby managed to reach the bottom of his chin with her height.

"Easy, Kurotsuchi, I don't think that the General would like it if we got in a fight," the young man that was easily twice her size, both by height and width, said with a nervous smile to the girl. He had a large nose and friendly dark eyes while his hair was kept back in a red bandanna.

"I'm with the hothead. You cost us a fight, buddy...maybe you want to repay the favor?" A teen with white hair that reached his shoulders grinned, revealing shark-like teeth that were in his mouth. He was as tall as Naruto was and a bit beefier in the muscle department. How could he tell? The shark boy had ripped his sleeves off of his jacket. Well, gotta give him points for creativity.

"Suigetsu?" Haku's voice broke Naruto's thoughts as his partner stepped forward. Haku looked at the white haired teen and the last member of the four, a glasses wearing boy that looked like a contrast to Suigetsu, his hair a dull blue-gray as opposed to the white that curtained Suigetsu's head. "Chōjurō? You two went to Atlas?"

"Ah, Haku, good to see you again," Chōjurō said meekly with a small smile as he adjusted his glasses.

"Yuki, what're you doing at Beacon?" Suigetsu asked, a brow raised. "Thought you were apprenticing?"

"...Plans changed," Haku said stiffly as his gaze turned intense. Suigetsu shivered and held his hands up in defense.

"Right, okay, I get the message."

Naruto crossed his arms and smiled lightly. "Friends of yours, Haku?"

"...You could say we had similar past times," Haku said carefully as he looked at his partner. He held his hand out. "Suigetsu and Chōjurō, my partner and team leader, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Nice to meet ya," Naruto said with a grin.

"A pleasure," Chōjurō said with a small nod.

"...Dude doesn't seem so tough." Suigetsu shrugged.

Haku rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, you were the same back when you started, _Scrawny_."

"Hey! If you'll notice, I'm not scrawny anymore, jackass!" Suigetsu snarled as he gestured to his arms.

Naruto hummed. "Impressive. What are those, eighteen? Twenty inches?"

"Twenty-one and two-thirds, blondie," Suigetsu said with a smirk. "Able to choke your punk ass out with ease."

"Suigetsu, let's try to be civil," the large teen said with a frown. He offered Naruto a smile. "We are Suigetsu and Chōjurō's teammates. I'm the team leader, Akasuchi, and this is my partner, Kurotsuchi."

"You're too nice, Akasuchi." Kurotsuchi grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Naruto. She squinted her eyes. "You look familiar...have we met before?"

"Uh, no, pretty sure I'd remember meeting you," Naruto said, a bit taken aback by her hostility. Unnerved by the glare that Kurotsuchi was giving him, Naruto turned his attention to Chōjurō and Suigetsu. "So, you're Haku's old buddies, huh? Bet you've got tons of dirt on him."

Suigetsu grinned slightly. "You know, maybe you're not going to be so bad after all, blondie. There was this one time when Haku had hurried to class one day and incorrectly tied his sash–"

"Naruto, we were going to go assist RWBY, remember?" Haku cut in firmly as he glared daggers at the white-haired teen.

Naruto pouted at Haku. "You're no fun, Haku. Kurama and Sasuke broke you."

"Naruto..."

"Alright, alright," Naruto said with a sad sigh. He gave the Haven students a two-fingered salute. "Nice meeting ya, guys and girl. Maybe we'll meet up in the tournament!"

"Better do some curls before we do, blondie!" Suigetsu returned with a cackle as his team watched the two walk away. He looked at Chōjurō with a smirk. "So, what'd you get off the blondie?"

Chōjurō shuddered and adjusted his glasses again. "It would be best to avoid him. His Aura...its massive. Far larger than any of ours, even when put together. It was so potent, I swear I saw it coming off of his skin."

"That's not normal," Kurotsuchi said with a frown. She glared at the two as they walked away. "We should keep an eye on them. That blond guy...I want to know why looks so familiar."

"Maybe you've been dreaming about him?"

"Piss off, Suigetsu!"

* * *

"...Meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!" Ruby's voice was heard clear as day to Naruto as he leaned casually against the team's door. He quirked a smile when he heard Sun's voice. Naruto opened his eyes and nodded at his team as they stepped out of their room, dressed in their battle gear.

"Time to make an entrance." Naruto mused as he knocked on the girls' door.

Kurama scoffed. "Typical showboat."

"Seriously? Not the time," Sasuke said with a disapproving shake of his head.

"Whatever."

Naruto ignored his team as Ruby opened the door and looked at the grinning blond in confusion.

"Um, hi, Naruto...what's going on?" Ruby asked.

"I think I should be asking you that," Naruto said as he looked over her new attire and then those of the other members in Team RWBY. His eyes lingered on Yang's new look for a moment before he looked back at the nervous fifteen-year-old. "I mean, you're all dressed up for what looks to be a fun time, Sun's here and even the Nerd came!"

"His hair really is blue." Kurama mused in surprise while Neptune glowered at the whiskered blond.

"Intellectual!"

"Whatever, Nerd Boy," Naruto said as he walked into the team room and proceeded to circle Yang with a wide grin on his face. "This, I like."

"Yeah?" Yang grinned back at him and caught him by his jacket's collar. She leaned against him and traced her finger up his arm while his hands held her hips. "You should see what I'm wearing underneath."

Naruto's grin didn't fall in the slightest while Neptune choked on air. "Is that a promise or a tease?"

"Depends..."

"Yang!" Ruby protested with a slightly red face. She crossed her arms and scowled as the rest of Team NHKS walked into their already slightly crowded room. "Focus, Yang! The plan!"

"Making plans without me? Ouch, Yang, feelings are hurt," Naruto said with a pout.

Yang winked at him and turned around in his arms to look at her sister. "Lighten up, Ruby. Whisker Boy and his gang probably want in, too."

"Like I said, you should always drag friends into trouble. Way more fun that way," Sun said with a grin. He looked at Neptune. "Right?"

"...Debatable," Neptune said with a grunt as he looked over the new group. "So...These are the other, uh, cool guys, huh?"

"Nice to meet you too, Nerd Boy." Kurama greeted with a smirk.

"Intellectual." Neptune scowled at the Faunus before he turned to a greatly amused Sun. "I don't like him."

"Aw, I'm heartbroken," Kurama said dryly, a hand on his chest. "The goggle-head doesn't like me. How ever will I go on?"

"Shut up, Ōtsutsuki." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Bite me, Weiss."

"I think that's a proposition." Naruto stage whispered to his snickering girlfriend. He gave a small smirk to Kurama when he caught the flash of red that came up behind the sunglasses' lenses. Naruto grinned back at Ruby and let his arms slide up to gently wrap around Yang's midsection. "So, Rube, what's your 'plan'?"

"Well, we were going to go out and investigate some more into the White Fang," Ruby said with a small smile to the Faunus of her team. "Weiss and I were going to go to the Cross Continental Transmit tower to look into the Schnee Dust Company records."

"Since I'm an heiress, I should naturally have access to everything about the company," Weiss said with a hint of pride.

Ruby nodded. "Right, and Blake was going to go to a White Fang meeting alone, but with Sun here, I guess she could go with him. Yang said she's got a few contacts...and I guess Neptune was going to go with Yang – Haku, I don't understand what this..." Ruby rapidly waved her hand in front of her neck. "Means."

While Kurama and Sasuke laughed, Haku dropped his face into his hand as Naruto's arms tensed slightly and his gaze locked with Neptune's. The blue-haired Haven student paled considerably when Naruto gave him a wide and forced grin.

"Ruby, we need to work on your social cues," Weiss said dryly. Blake rubbed her forehead and nodded in agreement while Yang smiled and looked back at her boyfriend.

"Clingy already, Naruto? Don't you trust me?"

"Oh, I trust you with my life, Yang." Naruto smiled down at her normally before his forced smile returned as he looked at Neptune, who looked just about ready to start dropping bricks. "Him...not with yours."

"I'll admit, he does look like he'd stick out a bit if he came with me," Yang said with a pensive hum. "The prep look is cute, but...not exactly what you want to be wearing where we're going."

"Hm...Wait, I have an idea!" Naruto grinned as he looked at Ruby. "Why doesn't Neptune go along with you, Weiss, Sasuke and Haku?"

Ruby blinked and frowned. "Wait, but, why is Haku going?"

"Because our team has the permission slips _your_ team needs to go to Vale, or do you not remember the reason Kurenai was assigned to you?" Sasuke deadpanned to the four girls, who suddenly paled as the remembered that factor they had forgotten about. Kurenai was still a bit upset with them for the Lunchroom Fight they'd had yesterday.

"Exactly, Sasuke!" Naruto nodded. "So, Neptune, Sasuke and Haku will go with Sneeze and Ruby, Kurama will go with Sun and Bell...but will separate after you guys get there so that he can gather information on his own."

Sun gave Naruto a grateful thumbs up and grin while the fox Faunus shook his head.

"And that conveniently leaves you and me together," Yang said with a grin.

Naruto blinked. "Well I'll be damned. So it does!"

"Almost as if you planned it that way," she said. Yang's eyes drooped slightly and she traced circles on Naruto's arm. "Taking me out on the town, Whisker Boy?"

"Considering you're the one with the ride, I think it's the other way around," Naruto said. He was excited to hitch a ride on his girlfriend's motorcycle – she snuck him in to see it one night and he learned that it was probably his only competition for her affections. It was weird, but that was the same with Naruto and Ramen.

"Or Neptune could go with you guys!" Ruby suggested. "Five's a big number and -!"

"No, I'll-I'll go with you," Neptune said quickly as he covered Ruby's mouth with his hand and laughed nervously when Naruto gave him a smirk. The blonde couple were the first out the door and Neptune quickly pulled his hand away from Ruby's mouth, wiping it on his pants. "Gross! You licked my palm! What are you, twelve?!"

"Fifteen, actually," Ruby said with a frown. She crossed her arms and looked around the room. "What's the big problem? Why should Neptune come with us and not them? They could need the backup!"

It was quiet before Sasuke, Kurama, Sun and Haku burst into laughter. The other four in the room looked at the laughing boys in confusion. Sun wiped a tear away from his eye and sighed.

"That was nice. Thanks, Ruby, I needed that." Sun grinned. He looked at Kurama and then Blake before he gestured to the door. "After you."

"Why thank you," Kurama said with a smirk as he walked between his two fellow Faunus and left the room.

Blake sighed. "This is going to be an eventful night, I just know it."

Kurama poked his head back into the doorway and smirked. "Eh, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the short insert, but my job suddenly switched hours up on me. Enough of my #reallifeproblems though, next time we get our grove on with Junior.**

 **RELINQUISH!**


	13. It Gets Real

**AN: Sorry, I celebrated my 22** **nd** **year on this planet last weekend. Yay!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XIII: It Gets Real**

* * *

"How the Hell did we lose track of a guy with neon blue hair, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and a girl wearing a red hood?" Sasuke asked incredulously as he and Haku walked around the CCT, a massive tower that was developed in Atlas to unify the Four Kingdoms after The War. Mere minutes after they had arrived, and were subjected to Ruby's awe of the tower, Haku and Sasuke were separated from their group by a passing wave of tourists.

One of the tourists, a man who looked to be a construction worker of some sort if his Vale Construction Co. shirt was anything to go by, stopped directly in front of them. He looked them over, smiled and said "Neat!" before he blinded the two teens with a flash camera. Sasuke silently vowed vengeance on the man when he rubbed the flash out of his eyes.

"I believe it was possible that Ruby's discovery of Penny distracted her from her purpose for arriving." Haku mused. "I wonder why she turned and ran, though?"

"She's hiding something." Sasuke deduced. "Something that _we_ aren't supposed to know."

"Is she a student at Haven?" Haku asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, Kurama never mentioned her in his debriefing."

"Ah." Haku nodded and looked at his teammate. "So now what? Do we continue our search or should we go into the station to investigate?"

"Might as well go do what we came here to do." Sasuke mumbled as they turned back towards the CCT. They walked in silence for a while until a loudspeaker and hologram appeared in front of them.

" _The new Atlesian defense display will begin shortly. Please make your way to the CCT Gardens._ "

Haku and Sasuke exchanged a look before they shrugged. They had nothing better to do. The two teammates walked to the gardens, a vast area filled with flowers from around the world, mostly those of the aesthetic variety. Set in front of the entrance was a large platform with a ten or twelve foot _thing_ hidden by a tarp draped over it. Sasuke crossed his arms and idly wondered what was to be displayed in front of them.

A hologram of the Atlas Academy headmaster and the General of the Atlesian Army appeared on stage in front of the tarp. James Ironwood, a man dressed in a white suit and red tie, with a glove over his right hand and a bar of some sort above his right eyebrow while his neatly trimmed hair gave him the look of a military official. He smiled at the gathered few, and the seated officials at the front, before he clapped his hands together.

" _Welcome residents of Vale! Today is a grand day, beautiful and clear, but like any day, it could always change._ " James smile fell and he became serious. " _Our time of peace is not long, and many of you are familiar with the attacks by the White Fang and the Fourth War occurring both here and across the seas. Fear is present in all of your faces, and I assure you, you are not the only one afraid. I am afraid for my students. My soldiers. My people. My friends. I am afraid for Remnant._ "

"Well, he certainly does know how to reassure a crowd." Sasuke mumbled as he crossed his arms. The others gathered began to murmur worriedly at his words. Sasuke shook his head. Probably not his choice of words to start with.

" _But we will fear no longer!_ " Ironwood declared firmly as his hands folded behind his back. " _Atlas is determined to ensure that peace is prolonged and these...terrorists will not sway us! We will not bow quietly into the night so that they may try to eradicate Humans or Faunus! We will not surrender without a fight to protect our home, or to protect_ your _home! We_ will _survive! We_ will _press on! We_ will _end this tyranny! But...To do this, we need to be better. We need to be more prepared for our enemies._ "

Ironwood held his gloved hand out and the tarp fell. Sasuke's eyes balked at the monstrosity before him. A solid twelve feet high, with steel covering its parts, was a massive...machine. It was armed to the teeth and had a cockpit in the dead center. Two enormous rocket packs were on the 'shoulders' of the machine and two cannons of some sort were on the arms.

"This...is not a good sign." Haku mumbled. Sasuke had to nod in agreement to that.

" _Behold! The newest advancement in technological warfare from Atlas, to combat these terrorists and ensure that our peace remains intact!_ " Ironwood's hologram stepped aside and admired the machine. " _The Atlesian Paladain-290!_ "

"I've seen enough." Sasuke decided after a moment.

"As have I. To the tower?"

"Let's go."

* * *

"Damn," Haku said with a grimace as his attempts to guess Weiss' access code to the Schnee Dust Company failed. "I was certain that 'Glyph' would've worked. The login ID was correct..."

"Told you to not worry about the Schnee information," Sasuke said from his console. "Should've just looked for headlines, like I am."

"Have you found anything?" Haku asked. Sasuke did not answer him and Haku furrowed his brow. He walked over and watched as Sasuke began to search through files of Fourth War terrorist attacks. His eyes narrowed after a certain name came up at a different point in each record before Sasuke clicked a link to a new headline.

"Sasuke...who is Itachi?"

Sasuke's face darkened and he closed the links.

"...It is your dark past, I take it?" Haku asked. He decided to back off. "I will leave it be–"

"No, you deserve to know." Sasuke cut him off. The raven-haired teen rubbed his eyes. "Naruto and Kurama know, I'm sure that's why Naruto sent me here with you. He wanted you to be told."

"Told about this...Itachi?" Haku asked with a confused frown.

"Yes," Sasuke said as he opened a new window and entered the name into the search bar. Sasuke looked at Haku gravely. "This is my _goal_. My reason for becoming a Hunter, and at one point it was my reason for living. To find and bring that-that _man_ to justice. Like I said, Naruto and Kurama know this is why I started my path, and they've offered their help countless times once we resolved our differences, but this is something I want to do alone. I am not afraid of it, I do not hide from it. Read."

Sasuke stepped out of the way so that Haku would read the window he'd opened. As the feminine boy read the screen, Sasuke continued with his dialogue.

"Seven years after the disaster of the Fourth War attack that occurred nearly two decades ago, a team of Hunters from Vacuo's academy was found slaughtered by what seem to be Grimm. There was one survivor who was not present. It is believed he betrayed his teammates, two who were an outspoken Faunus/Human couple and another Faunus, and joined the Fourth War."

Sasuke paused as Haku opened another page, revealing a gruesome crime scene at a small house.

"That man was a prodigy of a family known for Faunus hatred, and doomed his family to shame. His father couldn't handle the shame and went mad, murdering his wife and then himself when the village's police force arrived on the scene. He died from the officers' weapons while he was attempting to kill that man's only living relative."

Haku sighed heavily at the image of a small wide-eyed boy with raven black hair, wrapped in a blanket.

"...He's your brother." Haku realized.

Sasuke nodded. "Its my duty to my parents to bring him to justice. To discover the truth."

"...Perhaps...it is for the best that we had lost track of the others." Haku mused. He looked at Sasuke and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Sasuke, for trusting me with this."

"It isn't a matter of trust, Haku," Sasuke said honestly as he looked down. "When I was young, there was no doubt that I hated Faunus and that man. I was not afraid to proclaim it. I made it very clear what my goal was..."

"Then...?" Haku fished.

Sasuke leaned back against the wall and chuckled lightly. "I met Naruto...Naruto pulled me from the darkness when we were young. Forced me into sunlight. We became friends, and in time, I overcame my hatred for Faunus. I decided to live with the goal of finding him. To learn why he did what he did and bring him to justice for his crimes."

"How did Naruto do that?" Haku asked.

Sasuke smiled. "He kicked my ass."

"...Really?"

"Broke my arm so bad it nearly had to be amputated."

"...And you became his _friend_?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Felt it was better to be his friend than his enemy...and at the time, I decided that he'd be a good measuring stick. Or a tool to use on...You know."

"...That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Not really. Still considering it, too."

"...So, how did you and Kurama get along then?"

"That's a long story." Sasuke chuckled as he logged out of the computer and began to walk towards the exit. "Let's go see if we can find the girls and the Nerd, shall we?"

* * *

"It really is a miracle that the White Fang have not been found," Kurama said dryly as he, Sun and Blake walked into an abandoned warehouse that had three small while lines outside the door, similar to claw marks. "Really, the one organizing this whole shindig is unbelievably clever. I tip my hat to him."

"Shut up, Kurama." Blake mumbled.

"Me-ouch."

Sun snickered, but stopped when Blake snapped a glare at the two Faunus males. "Shut. Up. Every Faunus here believes in the White Fang's purpose, if you want this plan to work, you need to act like you give a damn, too."

"...Well, shit, when you put it that way," Kurama said softly as he scratched his neck sheepishly. Blake turned on a dime and stormed into the building. Kurama looked at Sun, who shrugged back at him, before the two followed the feline Faunus. Blake stopped at the end of a hallway and signaled the two to do the same.

"Okay, looks like there's only one way in. Would you like to go in first or would you like to follow our lead?" Blake asked Kurama.

"After you, Princess." Kurama offered. He arched a red brow when Blake and Sun put on white masks that covered their eyes. "What are those?"

"Grimm masks," Blake said. She held one out to him. "Humans made the White Fang out to be monsters, so we donned the masks of monsters."

"Talk about becoming what you hate." Kurama mumbled as he took the mask. He lifted a hand up to his sunglasses and the other two Faunus stared intently at him. "Uh...do you mind?"

"Mind what?" Sun asked.

"...Oh, it's going to be like that, huh? Fine." Kurama spun around and back, having replaced his sunglasses with the mask. He looked around with a hum. "You know, I think these are cooler than my Pineley's."

"...Damn, man, that's harsh." Sun frowned alongside Blake. He looked at the cat-eared Faunus with an arched brow. "Guess we'll have to try again another time. Lead the way, Blake."

Blake nodded and led the monkey-tailed Faunus into the meeting area. Kurama watched them disappear into the room and mentally counted to seven – an odd number also known for luck, because who arrives exactly five or ten seconds after another person? He had to make it seem completely coincidental to be safe.

When the count was up, Kurama rounded the bend and jogged down when he saw the door closing. Mentally cursing the fact that his plan formed to avoid coincidence and suspicion had backfired, Kurama held his hand out and burst into a sprint to catch the door. "Wait! Wait, I'm here!"

The guard, a hooded Faunus in the White Fang grunt attire, opened the door back up and shook his head when his hidden gaze fell on the fox-tailed Faunus. "Cutting it close, aren't you?"

Kurama took a page from Naruto's playbook and sheepishly scratched the back of his head while his tail swished back and forth. "Sorry, I – uh, my boss was hassling me again. I had to run all the way here to avoid a confrontation with the police."

"Anger get the best of you?" The nervous laugh answered the grunt's question and he grunted. "Great, another hothead, just what we need. Alright, get in here and keep your voice down, alright? Friggin newbies..."

"Sorry again," Kurama said as he slipped by the guard and disappeared into the crowd. He saw Sun and Blake closer to the stage than he would've liked, but there was nothing he could do about it. Kurama scanned the room and looked for any potential exits. There was a window on the far right, and he could slip through the door he had entered through. As Kurama looked behind him, he caught a scent that he hadn't smelt in a long time.

Curious and a bit worried of the potential problem that could arise, Kurama followed the scent to the far back, where a masked Faunus with a white hoodie and black lettering of P.T.A. across the chest.

The P.T.A. (Poorly Tempered Animalz) is a music group that used rhyming lyrics and a steady beat to express their disgust with corrupt law enforcement and racist officials in power. It was very popular among young Faunus living in large cities, but the music was banned from radio play due to the promotion of violence featured in the lyrics.

However, the attire was not what grabbed Kurama's attention, it was the dark horns that stood out against the platinum blond hair on the Faunus' head. The left horn was halfway shaved off of the Faunus' head, as though it were filed down. Kurama growled and pushed the horned Faunus back when he was within reach.

"You horned sonovabitch." Kurama snarled as he grabbed the Faunus' hoodie and pulled him close. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Kurama?! Shit, man, keep it down!" He hissed as he pushed Kurama's hands down. "You're going to blow my cover!"

"Cover? Are you pulling a sting right now? You stupid – Where the hell have you been you bastard?!" Kurama's voice was low and dangerous as he glared at the other Faunus.

"Kurama, not now, man!"

"No, we're talking _now_."

"It's not the time!"

"Gyuki, you're going to make time, whether you like it or not." Kurama snarled dangerously.

Gyuki, the Faunus in question, scowled at him. "Fine, fine. Oum, you're going to screw everything up."

"Where the hell have you been?" Kurama growled as he crossed his arms and his tail flicked.

"Me? I've been doing what I told Dad I wanted to do. I've been making the world a better place, I've been bridging the gap between Humans and Faunus. _Legally_." Gyuki added quickly when he saw Kurama's tail flick once more. Gyuki looked around and reached into his hoodie's front pocket, withdrawing a leather case and flipping it open. A bronze badge with the words 'Investigative Hunter of Remnant' across the top, an image of the shattered moon in the center, and the words 'To Pursue Truth' across the bottom.

"...Holy shit, you're a spook."

" _Volume_." Gyuki grit out as he shoved his wallet back in his pocket. "I've been coming to these meetings for three months and I've finally managed to convince the higher ups of this area that I'm another anti-human fanatic. Do. Not. Blow. It!"

Kurama clenched his fists, his disbelief still visible on his face, though his eyes were hidden. "All this time we thought you were dead."

"Well obviously, I'm not. Now shut _up_ , the 'boss' is talking." Gyuki growled and pushed Kurama so that the fox-tailed Faunus would turn around. They watched the White Fang lieutenant promote hatred and introduce the co-conspirator, Roman Torchwick. He was met with boos and jeers, but kept his cool and even took it with a grin. Kurama had to give it to the wanted criminal, he had huge ones, but his next words confirmed what Kurama thought: his 'huge ones' were in another's hands.

"My benefactor has gotten hold of this wondrous contraption. First of many to be dealt out to our so patient and endearing animal friends. Behold...your salvation!" Torchwick declared grandiosely with his arms spread out as the red curtain behind him dropped. Kurama's jaw popped open and murmurs exploded throughout the crowd. Behind Torchwick was a twelve-foot behemoth of machinery, armed to the teeth and branded with the White Fang's symbol.

"...This is so beyond not good," Gyuki said under his breath. Kurama nodded in agreement with him.

 _We are so fucked._ Kurama thought as Torchwick began to drivel out specifications of the Paladin-290.

"Us nothing...this could be the straw that broke the camel's back." Gyuki mumbled. "This could re-ignite the dwindling fires of The War."

"Come forward, new brothers and sisters!" the Lieutenant cried. "Come forward and make your vows! Declare your oaths! Prepare for victory over the Humans!"

Many of the new Faunus applicants began to rush forward, eager to join the 'fight' for freedom. Kurama saw Torchwick's gaze linger and squint on a certain duo and he swore under his breath. Before he could act, there was a gunshot and the lights suddenly went out.

"Shit, what was that?" Gyuki asked under his breath while the crowd started to panic.

"A problem. Get going, report back to your boss! We'll talk later!" Kurama pushed Gyuki towards the exit while Faunus clamored around to get to his companions. Gyuki looked back at him with a brief nod before he disappeared into the crowd. Kurama looked over towards Blake and Sun, who were fighting their way to a window on the second floor.

"Stop them! Don't let them get away!" Torchwick ordered while he fumbled around on stage to find the hatch of his mech. Kurama pulled the concealed Rikudo from his back and extended it out into its spear form. He grabbed a nearby member of the White Fang and drained him of Aura to the point that he lost consciousness.

"There's another one! Fire!"

Kurama ducked behind an overturned refreshment table as a hail of bullets rang out. Many new Faunus cried out in fear and ran for the exits. Kurama twisted the pole of Rikudo so that his weapon would shift into its rifle form. Kurama made a few blind shots and scowled when he heard a mechanical hiss.

 _Damn, looks like Torchwick is in his new toy_.

A loud boom had Kurama pop his head up to see a gaping hole in the warehouse wall, the lights and sounds of Vale's twilight filtered in while the massive Paladin rushed out.

"Oh, crap." Kurama mumbled before he ducked back down behind cover. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket-Scroll, a variant of the Academy issued Scroll. A read of his thumb and the device slid open. "Guys answer the Scroll! It's Kurama, we've got a problem!"

* * *

The trip from Beacon to Yang's contact was a long one, even at the crazy speeds Yang went. Naruto didn't complain. The speed had made for a good excuse to cling to his girlfriend's back and, when she asked, he had said that she was being poked because of the motorcycle's vibration. It wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't entirely false, either. Not that Yang really minded.

"It's okay, my baby Bumblebee makes me excited, too!" Yang had told him over the wind. "Really gets the blood pumping!"

For a moment, Naruto was tempted to ask if they could make a detour after she said that. Then his conscious had to be a damn cock-block and make itself known. As much as he tried not to, Naruto's thoughts drifted to the situation concerning himself, Yang and Emerald. Naruto hadn't thought about it since the night before, and of all the times his thoughts go to his ex, it's right when he's practically clinging to his new, less-than-a-month girlfriend on her sexy motorcycle when they're going crazy stupid fast.

It was times like this that Naruto reluctantly agreed with his friends' assessments of him being an idiot.

Thankfully, he was saved from displaying his idiocy as Yang pulled into a small parking lot outside of a club with a neon blue sign that read "Hei Days". After she parked, Yang took her helmet off and set it on Bumblebee's handlebars. She looked over her shoulder and grinned at Naruto.

"So, think you can manage _getting off_ Bumblebee?"

Naruto laughed sarcastically at her innuendo. "That's real classy, Yang."

"Says the one with a boner."

"...Touché." Naruto chuckled as he stood up and adjusted his jacket. He slipped his hands into his pockets and followed Yang as she walked up the steps with a confidant smile on her face. A tall man stood in front of the door with a clipboard in hand. He was built like a brick wall, so Naruto correctly assumed he was the bouncer. The bouncer wore a button up shirt with a red tie, a black vest, matching dress slacks and very expensive looking shoes. Reddish-black oval sunglasses hid his eyes and his hair was shaved off entirely.

The bored bouncer didn't look up from his clipboard when the two blondes walked up to the stage. "IDs please."

Yang's smile turned into a grin. She leaned over to whisper into her boyfriend's ear. "Watch this."

"Dinner and a show? You spoil me." Naruto returned with a small grin of his own as she returned her attention to the bouncer.

"You know what?" Yang's voice made the bouncer freeze and pale. "I think this place looks better than it did the last time I was here. New neon, a nice new door, and, are those designer shoes? I hope that's not all the compensation that was given to you after I tossed you through a window."

The bouncer slowly looked up, sparing only a second to look at Yang's breasts, before his gaze met Yang's. Naruto was a bit irritated that the man looked at his girlfriend's chest, but he was more impressed that the bouncer decided Yang's identity was more important to him than ogling the wondrous bust Yang loved to display.

Naruto was very aware that Yang was attractive, even a blind man could see that, but he was still her new boyfriend and there was a bit of concern that someone would try something stupid like hit on her. The saving grace for most that would try is that Naruto knew Yang was a flirt, but she was as not 'loose' as some would believe. The 'promiscuous girl' was a mask, an act to ward off those that would try to delve deeper.

Naruto was one of the rare few to witness her drop her masks, one of her true friends.

This bouncer, however, was not.

Poor bastard looked like he was going to start shitting bricks in his expensive pants.

Naruto almost felt bad for the guy. Then he remembered that the bouncer had ogled Yang's chest. Sure it was only a second, but like Naruto said before, he was still her new boyfriend with a few mild concerns.

Ah, retribution.

"Y-You're blacklisted." The bouncer managed to get out after a moment of staring. He slowly put his pen in his other hand so that his now free hand could slowly move down to his hip, where a radio was attached.

"Blacklisted? Why? Look at the new stuff I got you!" Yang complained as she gestured at the apparently refurbished front doors.

"Junior's orders, not mine." The bouncer apologized sincerely. His hand was mere centimeters from hitting the panic button on his radio.

Yang pouted and crossed her arms under her bust. "What a jerk. He's the one that started it."

As much as Naruto wanted to believe that, he really doubted it. Deciding that they were wasting enough time, Naruto stepped forward and put a hand on Yang's shoulder.

"Let me try." Yang turned and frowned at him.

"Give me five more minutes, Whisker Boy. I can get us in, no problem."

The bouncer's hand shot down like a serpent to grab the radio, only to grab air. He looked down, panicked at the sight of his missing radio, and looked back up when Naruto cleared his throat. In Naruto's hand was the radio he was looking for, and the whiskered blond grinned at him.

"Now don't go doing something you'll regret." Naruto warned. His hand squeezed and the radio exploded. "Whoops. Sorry, I didn't want to drop the radio, so I held onto it _real_ tight."

"...Oh God...There's _two_..."

Naruto's eye twitched. His smile became strained and his raised hand balled into a fist. "Why...does everyone...keep saying _that_!?"

The bouncer was unable to answer, for when Naruto said the word 'that', his fist had driven itself into the bouncer's face and had sent the bouncer flying through the doors. Naruto took a soft breath and relaxed. He looked around in mild confusion when he saw that the bouncer had disappeared.

Yang snickered. "Lose something, Naruto?"

"Where'd the other guy go?" Naruto asked. Yang held her sides as she laughed and Naruto frowned. "What? What happened?"

"N-Nothing." Yang sniggered as she wiped a tear from her eye and recomposed herself. She looped her arm around Naruto's and grinned at him. "Door's open, let's go say hi."

"Okay... You know, that guy should really get fired. I mean, disappearing on the job like that? Not cool."

* * *

Hei Days was a really popular place it seemed, and a bit of a sausage fest. There were a ton of guys that were dressed like the bouncer, only they were much scrawnier. Each one that tried to stop them with a weapon were either taken out by Yang, who punched their lights out in one go, or Naruto, who simply backhanded them hard enough that when they hit the wall, they slumped to the ground.

The gauntlets on the blondes' hands probably helped with that. Yang's duel ranged shot gauntlets, Ember Celica, were more slender than Naruto's bulky Storm Breakers, but no less heavy. The shotgun chains were better concealed than Naruto's slug clips, which extended out from the side of Naruto's forearms at an odd angle. However, Naruto's gun barrels were hidden under the large 'bricks' on the back of his hands with his insignia drawn on it whereas Yang's were always out in her fight. Naruto's orange "brick hands" as Yang so crudely called them, left quite a welt on his opponents while the barrels of Yang's "golden gloves" nearly punctured the skin.

"Yeah, well, at least when I'm walking up to someone they can't tell if Ember Celica is my only weapon or not." Yang returned after Naruto criticized the damage her weapon did, even when not using the lethal applications of it.

"I'm a tank and I'm proud of it," Naruto said with a shrug as he looked at his right arm. The orange metal on the back of his hand did look like a brick. Maybe he should make some modifications to his weapons. He looked back at his girlfriend with a small smile. "But you've got a point, maybe I should fine tune it so my forearms don't look like blocks when Storm Breaker is concealed."

"You could make bracelets-"

"No." Naruto denied flatly.

"But we could match!" Yang whined. She crossed her arms and pouted when he didn't budge. "Fine, keep your dumb brick arms."

Naruto arched a brow and used his left thumb to press a hidden button on his palm. The gauntlets on his arms collapsed back into their 'brick' form and he hummed as he looked them over. The 'brick' started at his wrist and went back to just before his elbow joint. Naruto shrugged and interlaced his hands behind his head.

"Didn't hear you complaining when we were riding Bumblebee."

"I was more focused on the thing poking me in the ass." Yang returned with a huff.

"And the road?"

"Sure."

That answer mildly worried Naruto, but he got over it as they came up to a large pair of sliding double doors that slammed shut.

"Huh...That's rude."

"Very rude."

"Maybe it's an early night. They could be locking up."

"We should knock and find out."

Naruto looked at Yang, who had a small grin on her face and her gauntlets were still active. He took a step in the opposite direction of the doors and watched as Yang cocked her fist back. Yang threw her punch and a shotgun blast rang out. The doors flew off of their rails and landed on the dance floor with loud bangs. People in the club stopped dancing and a record started to skip.

"Well, what do you know? They aren't locking up, Yang."

"I can see that, Naruto. They must not have wanted us to show up the posers on the dance floor," Yang said with a cheeky grin. Immediately, no less than two-dozen guns were pointed at the two blondes, mostly focused on Yang. Yang held her hands up and laughed. "Aw, all this just for me? I'm flattered boys, but I'm spoken for."

"I think some are jealous," Naruto said with his own little grin as he returned to stand beside his girlfriend with his hands in his pockets. A gun prodded him in the side of the head.

"You'll speak when spoken to!" A thug growled.

"Are we playing Simon Says? I hate that game." Naruto mumbled.

The record was stopped and the people who hadn't already fled the dance floor started to do so. A man that was dressed in a fine ensemble similar to the bouncer at the door clapped his black-gloved hands once and walked up towards the group. He had short, but thick dark hair that looked like it crawled down his jawline and framed his mouth.

"Alright, boys, that's enough self-esteem building for today," he said dryly. The men hesitated and his eyes narrowed. "I said _enough_."

The group of thugs lowered their weapons and started to back away. Naruto matched the man's gaze and his arms crossed over his chest.

"You must be Simon."

The man arched a brow and looked at Yang. "I was hoping that _if_ you ever came back, you'd be alone again."

"Don't mind him, Junior, he's just eye candy." Naruto gave his girlfriend a hurt pout and she patted his cheek. Yang turned to grin at the man she called Junior. "So, you wanted me to come back?"

"No." Junior deadpanned. He sighed and walked back towards the bar, waving his hand. "Come on. Let's get this over with before any _more_ damage is done."

"So quick to jump to the conclusion that _I_ did anything." Yang huffed as she and Naruto followed the club owner.

"There's a bit of blood on your top." Junior drawled as he slipped behind the bar and began to clean a glass. Yang looked down at her top and, sure enough, there was a red drop on the panel outside of her black shirt. Ember Celica folded into compacted bracelets and Yang wet her thumb lightly with spit to wipe it away.

Narrowed lilac eyes landed on Naruto, who arched a brow. "What? I told you that your gauntlets were bleeders."

"But you didn't tell me about the blood on my top?" Yang hissed.

Naruto shrugged. "You could barely see it, and besides, its not like he couldn't see what we were doing with the small security camera that's in his bar. Right about...here." Naruto reached over the bar's counter while a stupefied Junior stared at him in shock. Naruto pursed his lips and fiddled around for a moment before he grinned. "Bingo."

"Wait, no, that's-!" Junior groaned as Naruto yanked out a small screen that looked like the bar's countertop on the back. Wires dangled from the screen along with two metal rods in the side. Junior glowered at the cheekily grinning blond. "Expensive. ...I've decided that I don't like you."

"Oh, darn. I was going to invite you to my slumber party." Naruto returned dryly before he chucked the screen over his shoulder. A shatter was heard in the distance. "Oops. Sorry. Butter fingers."

"...What do you want, Blondie?" Junior asked as his gaze went back to Yang, who was looking at Naruto with a furrowed brow.

"How'd you know that was there?" Yang asked her boyfriend. She was a bit surprised by the sudden turnabout in personality.

Naruto looked at her and then at Junior. "I saw it in the reflection of the glass he was cleaning. It was to be hidden so he could blackmail potential clients or identify anyone that tried to rob him. I'm guessing the security room that your men operate is just a ruse. That way, if its targeted no real harm is done. After all, why trust a bunch of idiots with your business venture's security?"

"...I _really_ don't like you, kid." Junior glowered while Yang gaped.

Naruto grinned again and leaned against the bar. "Buddy, you wouldn't be the first to say that."

"Wow...I knew you had something between your ears, Naruto, but I wasn't expecting that," Yang said, which prompted Naruto to winked at her. Both blondes turned back to the club owner and Yang leaned on the bar with arms crossed as she narrowed her eyes. "So...What have you and Torchwick been up to lately?"

"Who?" Junior asked with a brow arched. His eyes flicked to the right and back fast, but not fast enough to be unseen. Naruto subtly followed the gaze and saw two girls, twins, who were seated not far away in a booth. One was dressed in red and black, the other silver and cyan. The twins had their gaze on the three conversing individuals. They must be Junior's real muscle...and apparently had something against Yang if the narrowed glare was anything to go by.

"Don't play dumb," Yang said with a frown. Naruto returned his attention to the conversation when his girlfriend pointed at Junior. "I saw him here, and I'm fairly certain that enough lien could convince others that they did, too. Enough to get Police curious."

"Are you threatening me?" Junior asked as he set his glass down and he narrowed his eyes on Yang.

"Are you stupid?" Yang countered as a smirk spread across her face. "You lost against one, remember? How much you want to bet you'll lose against two?"

Junior pursed his lips and sighed. "Point taken. Alright, yes, I did do some business with Torchwick when you first came here, but I haven't seen him since."

"What kind of business?" Yang asked.

Junior shrugged and crossed his arms. "The usual. Torchwick hired my boys for a job. Guess he wasn't pleased with them though, since he hasn't come back for any more. Not that I can blame him." Junior's gaze went to his men that were trying to clean the doors up before he looked back at Yang. "Anything else?"

"You didn't do any other business with him?" Yang asked. Junior shook his head. Yang frowned and leaned away from the bar. "I guess we're done here then."

Naruto didn't. He put his hand on the counter and when he pulled it back, there was a green lien card. "I want something else. Information."

"Naruto?" Naruto looked at Yang for a second before he looked back at Junior. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him along, but he didn't move. He'd decided on something that was bothering him, and after a moment of internal debate, Naruto decided to get this over with.

The club owner looked at the lien before he looked at Naruto. "What do you want to know?"

"What do _you_ know about a girl named Emerald Sustrai?"

* * *

 **AN: Oh, snap. I went there. Shit has gotten real.**

 **For those wondering, the official 'design' for Naruto's gauntlets (Storm Breaker) is based partially off of the Dwarven Gauntlet from** _ **Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim**_ **.**

 **RETUCKIFIED!**


	14. Evening News

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XIV: Evening News**

* * *

Yang's grip on Naruto's arm tightened after he asked his question, but Naruto kept his gaze firmly on Junior. The man's curious expression went through several changes – surprise, worry, and anger – before he settled with a grim look. Junior grabbed the lien and pushed it back.

"Get out."

Breaking from Yang's grip, Naruto's arm shot out and his hand grabbed Junior's tie. He pulled the club owner from behind the bar and used his other hand to wrap around Junior's head. Junior was slammed face first into the bar before his head was turned to the side.

"I'm asking _nicely_." Naruto warned as his skin flickered with golden aura. He pushed down with his hand on Junior's head and the club owner let out a grunt. "Don't make this difficult for me, Xiong. I'd rather _not_ put you in critical care."

"Miltiades! Melanie!" Junior's voice travelled through the club and the twins moved from their booth. The one in silver and green jumped up and aimed a descending axe kick at Naruto's head. Naruto kept one hand on Junior's head while the other released the club owner's tie and raised to catch the ankle of the girl with a now noticeably bladed heel. Naruto turned his head to avoid the second kick and adjusted his grip to drive the girl's bladed heel into the counter.

"Militia!" The heeled girl called to her twin while she used her arms to try and free herself. A sharp red claw was intercepted by Yang's golden gauntlet before it could come any closer to Naruto's head.

"Thanks," Naruto said to his girlfriend as he defended himself against the heeled attacks of the other twin – known now as Melanie, since the other was Militia, which Naruto assumed to be short for Miltiades. Despite being stuck, she knew how to adapt to a situation.

"You are in _so_ much trouble right now, Naruto." Yang returned as she fought off the clawed twin while her normally golden hair burst into flame. She drove a punch into Milta's gut and the accompanying shotgun blast sent the red-themed girl back to her booth. Yang's now red eyes glared at his blue when he looked at her. "Who is Emerald?"

"Can we not? Please? Not now?" Naruto asked as he used his shins to parry Melanie's low kicks from her one free leg. With a growl, Naruto's skin turned gold and he stomped down hard on Melanie's foot before she could try to kick him again. The girl cried at her broken toes and that Naruto had 'ruined [her] pedicure!' While her pain distracted Melanie, Naruto turned over and used both hands to push down on Junior's head, which elected a cry of agony from the club owner, while his feet lifted up and kicked Melanie hard in the face.

He might have overdone it, though, as Melanie was knocked away from the bar and embedded in the far wall.

"No!" Yang growled as she slipped under Militia's attempted stab and wrapped an arm around the girl's neck while her other hand twisted a wrist behind Militia's back. Yang took a rear head-butt to the face, showing no damage afterwards, and then flung herself back. Militia was thrown from the grasp back at the twin's booth once more, this time landing in a heap atop the table. The table groaned before it collapsed to the ground.

Naruto looked at Yang, who still had glowing hair and red eyes locked in a glare on his form, and then past her at Militia. The red and black themed twin was atop the remains of the broken table and looked completely out of it. Deciding that perhaps he'd made a mistake in asking his question in front of Yang, Naruto looked down at Junior, whose arm fumbled around for something behind the bar, and scowled.

"Where were we? Oh right." Naruto slid Junior slightly to the left and away from whatever his arm was reaching for. "You were going to answer my question."

"Guh, look kid, I want to answer your question, but I don't want anymore trouble than I already have!" Junior grit out. Naruto lifted Junior's head from the bar and held the man's head in his hands. Junior cried out in agony when Naruto's skin shone brightly and the whiskered blond tightened his grip on his cranium.

"I don't know who you're so afraid of that you won't talk, but you need to realize that they're not here right now," Naruto said darkly. He tightened his grip and Junior let out another cry. " _I_ am."

"Alright! Alright, alright, alright, I'll talk!" Junior screamed and the pressure on his head lessened. "Emerald Sustrai. Thief. She's a thief round your age. Good at it, too, despite that. Referenced her to a few clients and got thirty percent of the take. Came in a few nights ago with some pretty boy named Mercury. They were asking about an old member of the White Fang that was rumored to be in town. Said they were hired to escort him out."

"What's his name?" Naruto asked. Junior hesitated and Naruto sighed before he tightened his grip again. "Junior..."

"Ah, God! Tukson! His name is Tukson! Owns a bookstore! Tukson's Book Trade! That's all I know, I swear! I swear to God that's all I know!"

Naruto released Junior's head and the man dropped onto the countertop of his bar, gasping for air. He looked at Yang, who continued to glare at him, before he looked at the lien on the counter. With a shrug, he turned and left with Yang right behind him, the glow in his body dimmed to nothing while the grunts and patrons of the club watched in fear.

As they neared the exit, the silence between Naruto and Yang was broken by the former. "My ex-girlfriend."

"What?" Yang frowned.

"Emerald Sustrai. She's my ex-girlfriend," Naruto said as his eyes met Yang's.

"...Why did you ask about her?" Yang asked carefully as her semblance dwindled down and her eyes returned to the calm lilac they were before. Naruto stopped and pursed his lips as he carefully thought about his answer.

"She's at Beacon."

"You only just found that out?" Yang asked incredulously as she folded her arms over her chest and stared Naruto down.

"She's not a student _of_ Beacon. She's at Beacon disguised as a student from Haven." Naruto raked his hand through his hair as he sighed. "We ran into each other a while ago. It was an...unpleasant surprise."

"Because anytime you run into an ex it would be pleasant," Yang said with a snort. She frowned slightly when Naruto remained quiet. Her eyes dropped to the side awkwardly as it clicked in her head. "...Oh."

"Yeah. Wasn't my choice to break up." Naruto looked up at the cloudy sky and rubbed the back of his neck. Another sigh escaped his lips and his arm dropped to his side before he looked at the other blonde. "Yang, I don't feel that way about her. Not anymore."

"No, yeah, I kind of figured that after you interrogated Junior for information about her," Yang said sourly. The words stung, but they were to be expected.

"I mean it," Naruto said as he took one of Yang's hands in his own. He gave her a small smile and looked down at their hands. "This...Feels _right_. I _like_ this. I like _you_ , I like _us_."

"...It is fun," Yang said with her own smile as she looked down at Naruto's slightly larger hand around hers. Her fingers intertwined with his. "Shame your gauntlet is so ugly."

"Yang." He watched her look up into his eyes and he squeezed her hand gently. "Please. I want us to work. I don't...I don't want to lose this."

Yang was quiet for a moment before he felt her squeeze his hand. "What did you mean when you said she is 'disguised' as a Haven student?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment and looked away. This was something important to him. He liked hanging out with Yang, he liked _being_ with Yang. Not to the point of love, not yet, but he didn't want to risk missing out on it if he did. However, Team NHKS was acting without any written approval when they looked into the students of Haven. If anything got out, _anything_ , it would mean the end of their hunting career. The end of their road. Could he really trust Yang with that? Drop that weight on her shoulders?

"Naruto, I need to know," Yang said to him. Her grip slacked and slowly pulled away. "If you can't tell me...I don't know how far we'll go. A secret like this nearly tore my team apart. I can't...I _won't_ let something like that happen again."

Yes.

Naruto tightened his grip on Yang's hand and he looked back up at her, his eyes hard and his jaw set. "Yang. You have to _swear_ to keep this between us. You can't tell anyone. Not Weiss. Not Blake. Not even Ruby."

"Why-?"

"I mean it, Yang." Naruto cut her off as he closed the distance between them just a bit more. His hand released Yang's and joined the other to rest on her shoulders. "This is something huge. Something that could reignite The War if its found out by the wrong people."

Yang's face turned grim and she put a hand on his arm. "Naruto, this is another secret that-"

"I know. I know how horrible this is for me to ask, but please Yang." Naruto implored as he looked into her eyes. "Please, _promise_ me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

They stared silently at each other for what felt like forever. Naruto felt his heart pound in his chest and his arms trembled lightly as Yang continued to stare into his eyes. Finally, after what felt like hours passed, Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when Yang spoke.

"I promise."

Naruto pulled Yang into a tight hug that surprised the both of them, but wasn't unwelcomed.

"Thank you." Naruto mumbled. He didn't realize how much he needed to hear that, how badly he wanted to see their relationship grow, until just now. Yang's arms wrapped gently around his sides and he let out another breath of relief. They pulled apart and Yang gave Naruto a firm stare.

"Now...Tell me everything, Naruto."

* * *

"Bust her face open...no, no, too gentle..." Yang mumbled darkly as she sped through the streets of Vale with a mildly concerned Naruto seated behind her on Bumblebee. "Maybe I'll take a page from Nora's book and break her legs."

"Yang, can you please focus more on driving and less on killing Emerald?" Naruto asked. She ignored him and continued to grumble to herself while Naruto sighed.

At first, Naruto was pleasantly surprised that Yang didn't want to kill Emerald off that bat for breaking up with him, rationalizing that if the "dumb bitch" hadn't, they would've never hooked up. That was pretty sensible and he could agree with it. However, when it came to the whole when and how Naruto ran into Emerald, Yang's pleasant mood – well, as pleasant as you can be when you're told about a secret alliance that could potentially spell doom for the peace between the Four Kingdoms – quickly soured after Naruto mentioned that Ruby had met the girl first.

Outside their room.

During the night _before_.

While Yang was still _awake_.

Needless to say, protective sister mode had efficiently been switched to "On." The possessive girlfriend setting quickly joined it when Yang inquired more about Emerald. Naruto didn't mind it much, he found the slight possessiveness attractive. Then it became worrying after she started to insult Emerald with colorful language.

Naruto ignored his girlfriend's disturbing grumbles – how and/or why the hell would a taco turn blue, Naruto had no desire to determine – when his pocket buzzed. Reaching into his pocket, Naruto lifted it up to his ear just as Yang suddenly made a right into an alleyway and came to a stop.

"Hello?" "What?!" Naruto and Yang both answered their scrolls.

" _We have a problem!_ " " _We need help NOW!_ "

"Blake? Why do you need he-?" Yang was cut off by the sound of an approaching yell. Both she and Naruto turned to look behind them, staring in disbelief at what they saw.

"A FREAKING GIANT ROBOT IS CHASING US!" Sun cried out as he and Blake fled from a pursuing mechanical beast. "THIS IS HORRIFYINGLY AWSOME!"

"...Kurama, are you still there?" Naruto asked calmly.

" _I take it that means you saw it?_ "

"Oh, I saw it. It's the believing part that I need to work on."

" _Better believe it, Naruto. Sun and Blake are being chased by a mechanical monstrosity operated and stolen by none other than Roman Torchwick._ "

"...Yang, you might want to put those plans of yours on hold," Naruto said as he collapsed his scroll and placed it back in his jacket. "We need to help them."

"Right. Save Blake and Sun, then kill the bitch."

" _What?_ " Ruby and Weiss, who were apparently still on Yang's Scroll message, asked at the same time. Naruto reached over and ended the call.

"Yang. Drive."

Yang tucked her scroll back into her jacket and revved Bumblebee's engine. "Hang on, Whisker Boy."

"No arguments here." Naruto grinned as he wrapped his arms slightly around Yang's stomach. She spun around in the alley, the rear tire kicked up asphalt as she did, before the two blondes tore out of the alleyway and after the rampaging robot.

"Damn, I mean I've heard of road rage, but this is ridiculous." Naruto mused as the war machine started to toss and shove cars out of its way.

"Duck!" Yang warned as she ducked her head down.

"Wha-Oof!" Naruto's head flew back as the remains of a wrecked car door hit him dead on. Narrowed golden eyes returned their attention to Torchwick's bipedal tank when Sun and the car he stood on were shoved off of the freeway. "Okay. Now I'm pissed."

"Think you can stop him?" Yang asked.

Naruto grinned and his eyes flashed. "Oh, ye of little faith. Yang, this is me we're talking about. If I don't stop him, the least I'm going to do is make him regret deciding to do this."

"Then get to work, Whisker Boy."

"Yes, Ma'am." Naruto unwound his arms from Yang's midsection and scooted back on Bumblebee's seat. Carefully, he began to stand up on the bike seat, all the while his semblance began to show itself as his body began to glow. Standing completely upright, Naruto took a moment to breathe and then slammed his fists together. His gauntlets folded out over his hands and the concealed barrels revealed themselves. Naruto held his left hand behind him and waited for the right moment. That moment came after Neptune jumped down from an overpass and drove his trident into the machine's right rocket launcher.

"Try to keep up," Naruto said to Yang before a blast fired from his gauntlet. Using the kick to his advantage, Naruto's jump was amplified to send him across cars into the back of Torchwick's war machine. He kept a tight grip on the left rocket pack and looked over at the blue haired trident user.

"So nice of you to join me," Neptune said while he tried to pry his weapon free. "Any ideas on how to stop this Paladin?"

"A few." Naruto grinned as he used his free hand to punch deep into the space between the robot's right arm and the cockpit. Naruto grabbed onto something that felt like a chord. "This feels important."

With a firm yank, Naruto ripped the chord out of the hole he made. The right rocket launcher shuddered and Neptune gave him a look.

"I _really_ don't like you right now."

"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" Naruto asked sheepishly. He grimaced as the launcher and the blue haired hunter suddenly shot up into the air, the Mistral teen screaming as he was fired into Sun. "...Hm, probably not."

Naruto decided not to dwell on the injuries he may have just inadvertently caused Sun's teammate. Instead, he pulled himself up and dropped down to look into the cockpit. A rather angry ginger sat within the machine, but he seemed even more angry when he locked eyes with the blond.

" _You_!" Torchwick growled through the intercom.

"Sir, you are currently rampaging in a No-Rampaging Zone! Stop the robot now or I _will_ use force!"

" _Get off of my machine, you little twat!_ "

"Get your machine off of my road, you giant prick!"

Roman snarled and did something to make the mech start to spin its torso rapidly. Naruto tightened his grip and closed his eyes.

"Oh, Oum, make it stop!" He cried. His face started to turn green. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have had the shrimp ramen!"

" _Don't you dare-! Ugh...this is why I_ hate _kids._ "

"Hey! I'm a teenager!" Naruto returned as he wiped the back of his mouth and leaned away from the now obscured glass when Torchwick stopped the spinning feature. He grinned. "Hey, Torch-head, is that a new product you're wearing? I think it's a _huge_ improvement."

" _Do you know how hard it was to steal this thing!?_ "

"Probably about as hard as you're going to hit the ground in a few seconds." Naruto quipped as he turned and waved at Weiss, who dropped from a nearby overhead. The heiress spun her rapier around and stabbed it into the ground. While ice started cover the ground, Naruto looked back at the puke-covered cockpit and gave the man within a two-fingered salute. "Hey Torch-head, I hope you have a nice trip!"

" _What does that even-Oh, there_ are _wipers!_ " Torchwick smirked as he cleared away the semi-digested shrimp ramen that covered his cockpit. His smirk vanished as he spotted the upcoming obstacle.

"See ya next fall!" Naruto chuckled as he jumped off of the mech before its foot stepped on the ice. He landed beside Weiss as Torchwick toppled over the edge of the highway. " _Weiss_ one, Sneeze."

"...No, just...just no."

"Eh, Yang would like it."

* * *

Naruto and Weiss dropped down to land beside Ruby, Blake and Yang across from Torchwick's machine.

"So...What exactly _is_ that thing?" Naruto asked as he held his fists up at the ready.

"The Atlesian Paladin-290." The five teens turned to Yang's left as Sasuke dropped down beside her and Haku stepped out of a mirror beside him. "Newest model in warfare, fresh off of the factory floor."

" _Not even available in stores. I skipped pre-ordering altogether,_ " Torchwick said with a chuckle as his Paladin lifted its arms and made fists.

"He stole it and others." Blake added as she lifted her katana. "However, I highly doubt it can stand alone against seven Hunters."

" _Quite so, which is why while you were all chatting it up, I was making a quick call._ " Torchwick cackled, which prompted Naruto to roll his eyes.

"Always with the evil cackles. Never do I fight someone with a nice chortle."

"Is that _really_ what's bothering you the most right now?"

Naruto looked and Weiss with an arched brow. "Are you _not_?"

"Be bothered later! Snow Daze!" Ruby called out as she, Blake, Yang, Sasuke and Haku jumped away from the approaching Paladin. Naruto appeared unfazed and didn't move as Weiss stabbed her rapier into the ground again, causing the surface beneath his feet to ice over. The Paladin jumped over the ice and over the two atop it.

" _Fool me once-!_ " Torchwick's jeer was cut off as Naruto jumped up and caught the Paladin's rear foot just as it passed overhead and pulled. The machine toppled forward and the smile on Torchwick's face fell when he realized the cockpit was falling right towards Yang.

"Shame on you." Yang finished as she delivered a powerful uppercut that knocked the Paladin back into the air. The group all grinned as they watched the Paladin land a good distance away. The grins fell into grimaces as a Paladin-like mech landed beside Torchwick's rising Paladin.

"...Son of a bitch..." Naruto scowled and glared at the newcomer while his fists tightened. Though it looked like Torchwick's Paladin only less frontline worthy, the new mech had a designed painted onto it. However, it was not the marking of the White Fang. Instead of a wolf with three claw marks, there was a red mushroom cloud painted onto the mech. There was also a massive pack in place of the rocket launchers.

"Fourth War...Take it down!" Sasuke snarled as black Aura crackled around him and he rushed forward. Naruto's body shone brightly with gold Aura as he followed his teammate's example. The raven-haired teen ducked under a thrown punch from the mech, but failed to avoid the lightning quick backhand that sent him flying into Naruto.

" _You called me from my work to deal with a few children, Torchwick?_ " The cloud bearing machine's operator asked in annoyance.

" _Hey, these kids are freaking_ weird _, man! Besides, you talk like I'm not paying you!_ "

" _For something this tedious, you should give me double._ "

" _D-Double!?_ " Torchwick's Paladin turned to the Fourth War Paladin. The thief seemed outraged at the thought.

" _Or would you rather I take my leave?_ "

Torchwick growled. " _Fine! Double! Just deal with_ some _of the brats!_ "

" _As you insist._ " The member of the Fourth War chuckled lowly. The pack on its back opened up and no less than one hundred robotic foot soldiers with the Fourth War Cloud painted on their featureless heads dropped out of the pack. " _My model, designated as 'King', is not as offensive as your...compensating Paladin model–_ " " _Hey!_ " " _–But it does come with a few Pawns to defend their king._ "

"Oh, goodie, there's even _more_ robots." Blake irritably bit out as the. She raised her pistol and took a shot at one. To her surprise, the bullet was deflected by Sasuke's blade. All of the girls on Team RWBY gave the teen confused looks.

"Take out Torchwick." Sasuke grit out as black arcs of Aura crackled across his body. He aimed his sword at the Pawns and narrowed his eyes. "They're ours."

"Sasuke." The teen looked at Naruto, who grinned as he cracked his knuckles and stood on Sasuke's right. "I'll take the fifty on the right, you take the fifty on the left."

"Screw you, Uzumaki. I'll take fifty- _one_."

"That's the spirit! First one to finish gets to rip the 'king' apart."

"You're on."

The two teens ran head first into the mass of machines and soon lost themselves to the joys of mechanical slaughter. Boys will be boys, after all.

"Yang?"

"Yeah, Ruby?"

"Your boyfriend is weird."

"I prefer the word 'fun'." Yang countered with a smirk before she glared at Torchwick's Paladin as it charged at them. She ran forward and met the machine's punch with one of her own.

"Do you have this?" Haku asked Ruby as she and Weiss held back while Blake assisted her partner. Yang avoided a would-be crippling blow and used the ribbon to trip Torchwick up.

"Yeah, go help your team." Ruby nodded over at the horde of Pawns that swarmed over Naruto and Sasuke. The two teens were hard to see, even with Naruto's glowing semblance. She looked back at her team and called out "Freezer Burn!"

A few Pawns diverted their attention to Torchwick when he was suddenly hidden in a mist caused by a combination Yang and Weiss quickly threw together. Haku put a stop to their existence with the use of Snowfall's ranged mode. He rushed into a mirror that formed in front of him in order to escape a hit from a stray laser that came from within the cloud.

 _They've gotten much better at teamwork. Though part of me wishes Ruby wouldn't call the attacks out so loudly._ Haku mused as he popped out of the Mirror and landed behind the 'King', finding a few Pawns defending the pack they came out of. He shifted Snowfall into its whip form and began to clear the way.

"Thunderstruck!"

The call from his team leader made Haku back into a hastily made mirror to stand on the other side of the underpass. Haku watched as black arcs of Aura spread from the center of the Pawns Horde. The Pawns froze in place and Naruto jumped up into the air with a fist cocked back. He thrust it forward just before he landed and right after Sasuke jumped up. His punch caused a shockwave that knocked all of the Pawns into the air.

"Hail Storm!" Naruto called out and his two present teammates started to unload their ranged weapons into the airborne machines. The Pawns fell to the ground, disabled or destroyed. Naruto lifted a hand up and caught a Pawn on its back before it could land atop him. He tossed it to the side and grinned at his teammates. "Nice shooting guys, that's how it's done."

" _Well, that's what you get when you obtain a product from overseas. Nothing is as trustworthy as something you make yourself,_ " the King operator said irritably. A laser target aligned itself on the back of Naruto's head and the operator smirked inside the cockpit. _Let's see you stop this one, you little brat._

"Idiot, move!" Sasuke called out as a small cannon popped up atop the King's pack and aimed at Naruto. The barrel lit up for a brief second before the light suddenly extinguished as a shot rang out. The cannon exploded just as a loud thump came from area where the dwindling shroud of mist encased Torchwick.

Naruto looked over at a distant building where he spotted a small gleam. With a grin on his face, he held up a thumb and said, "Thanks for the save, Kurama."

* * *

"Damn lucky you didn't hang up on me, jackass." Kurama mumbled as he looked up from his rifle's scope and loaded another round into the chamber. He turned to the side as two familiar faces landed beside him with grunts. "Where the hell have you two been?"

"Your team leader sent me on a ride." Neptune mumbled as he shifted his trident into a small rifle before he set it on his back.

"I took a small dive, had to recover." Sun shrugged. He walked over and knelt down beside the prone Faunus. "How're they doing?"

"Not bad, but – Oh, that's not good." Kurama mumbled as he peered through his scope at the machine that faced off against his team.

* * *

"That's so not good." Naruto mumbled and took a step back as the King's robotic claw-like right hand shifted into a mace-like extension. The spiked weapon dropped and dangled in front of the King with a chain that connected it to the arm like a flail. Naruto grimaced as the flail retracted and then fired straight at him. "This is gonna su-!"

Sasuke stepped to the side as Naruto flew past with the spiked mace-like weapon imbedded in his gut. "Haku, got the radar handy?"

"I checked it earlier," Haku said calmly as several of his mirrors formed around the King. The flail that had barreled into Naruto was retracted and the whiskered teen got to his feet with his arms around his stomach.

"Gah, son of a bitch...He ruined my jacket! I only got, like, three more of these!" Naruto glared at the mech. "Storm Warning!"

Sasuke smirked and black arcs formed around his left arm. "Right on cue."

Haku ran into a final mirror that formed in front of him. He reappeared behind the King and dashed through the gap in its legs and latched the tip of Snowfall's whip form onto the interior of the right leg. He jumped over the right arm and disappeared into another mirror. Haku reappeared on the left side and ran back through the gap of the mech's legs to yet another mirror. He moved far too fast for the King operator to counter, and by the time he had finished, the King was nearly teetering due to its limbs being bound so close together.

Naruto grabbed onto the whip to help Haku keep the mech captured while Sasuke ran forward and jumped onto Snowfall's taught whip. His hand started to chirp loudly as sparks of Aura formed around it while the raven-haired teen ran at the King. In mere seconds, it sounded like thousands of birds had filled the air, which caused the three nearest Faunus to cringe at the sound.

"This is your end," Sasuke said lowly as he pierced his chirping hand into the cockpit of the King. The arcs of black Aura lightning spread across the mech from his arm. Haku twisted his wrist to the right and Snowfall retracted from the short-circuiting war machine.

Sasuke jumped back to land beside Naruto and they watched the King stumble around before it fell to the ground and the hatch popped open. Instead of a frightened – or even hastened in an effort to escape the malfunctioning machine – foe, what was displayed to the three teens made them stare in disbelief.

A television screen rose up from the King's cockpit and the face of the man that was most likely operating it was obscured by static.

" _Nice try, boys. A good effort. You should rethink your lives. The Fourth War always has a place for those fighting for Humanity._ "

Naruto scowled at the screen while Sasuke sneered and Haku glowered. The leader of the team glanced to the side when there was an explosion and the sound of a Bullhead's engine. Naruto returned his attention to the madman taunting them.

"We'll never join you," he said. He pointed at the screen. "We are Team NHKS, future Huntsmen of Remnant, and we will stop the Fourth War once and for all."

The man laughed loudly at the proclamation. His face became visible for a half second. Dreadlocks that were pulled back on his tanned skin were the most notable feature they could make out from this distance. His mouth was hidden by a bandana and his eyes were beady. The voice that spoke to them was now distorted and almost hidden by the warning alarms that came from the King.

" _Good luck._ "

The screen cut out just before the King exploded. The sounds of the city soon became more apparent as the adrenaline wore off. Fire and police sirens came from above the teams, undoubtedly assisting those hurt or endangered by Torchwick's rampage. The engines of airborne news teams started to fill the air and several camera bots descended from above to overlook them all.

"Oh, goodie. We're going to be famous," Sasuke said irritably. Naruto understood his feelings and mirrored them. He arched a brow when his scroll, something he thought smashed by the King's flail, started to buzz.

Naruto pulled his scroll out and opened it. A grimace formed on his face. "Oh crap-baskets."

" _So, Naruto..._ " Asuma began dryly as a video of the blond and his team along with Team RWBY came up on the screen. " _When I said to help Team RWBY with their investigation, I meant dig up dirt, look through files and maybe rough up a few grunts. Can you tell me_ why _there's a news report being broadcasted_ all over the world _about ten teenagers causing chaos and destruction in Vale_?"

Naruto groaned and dropped his scroll to his side while he palmed his face.

They were so boned.

* * *

 **AN: Boned they are indeed. Sorry for the lateness, my work schedule is** _ **all**_ **over the place this week, and classes for college start up next week. The daily update of this fic might have to come to a halt soon, sorry about that.**

 **RESCRIBY!**


	15. Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XV: Friends**

* * *

"Let me see if I have this straight."

The tall overbearing form of James Ironwood began slowly as he paced in Professor Ozpin's office behind the all male team of first year students that did not belong in his school. Why was he here to debrief the team that Ozpin had singled out? Well, two of _his_ machines – one supposedly a project that was still _Top Secret_ – were discovered and witnessed alongside the teenagers in the rampage. To say General Ironwood was not a happy camper would be an understatement.

The man was beyond _livid_.

Ironwood walked around and stopped in front of Team NHKS. "Roman Torchwick, one of Remnant's most wanted criminals today, has in his possession _at least_ two or more Paladin-290s?"

"As well as perhaps any other pieces that Atlas has yet to reveal," Kurama said bluntly. The glare aimed at him did little to make him sweat. He wasn't going to mince words just because the man was a General of another nation's army. Hell, he _blamed_ the man for this whole scenario. "Not to mention that they are being sold or even _given_ to both the White Fang and the Fourth War. So much for, what did your speech at the CCT say? 'Ensuring peace and ending the terrorism?'"

"Kurama..." Naruto warned the Faunus.

"What? Am I wrong?" Kurama's hidden eyes remained focused on the steeled face of the Atlesian General. "How's it feel to know _your_ toys are the cause for putting, how many was it? Thirty people in the hospital and fifteen in the ground?"

"Kurama!" Naruto sent a dark look to his teammate that silenced the fox-tailed teen. Naruto looked at Professor Ozpin, who remained seated at his desk with a calculated look on his face. "This isn't the point. The fact that Torch-head, the White Fang and the Fourth War are not only assisting one another in obtaining illegal or even advanced tech, but we can confirm that the White Fang and the Fourth War are unified _under_ Torch-head's mysterious group. This group is funding _both_ factions and, while they're not directly working together, they're not opposing one another either."

"Indeed, a troublesome thought," Ozpin said calmly. He sat back in his chair and took hold of his tea mug. Before he took a sip, Ozpin locked eyes with Naruto once more. "You and your team are dismissed, Mr. Uzumaki."

"Thank you, sir." Naruto nodded back before Team NHKS stood and left as one.

Once the doors had shut behind the teens, Ironwood turned and frowned at Ozpin. "We need to know more. I need to know what they know about that Fourth War operative they said had remotely operated the King-E401. From our engineer's words, that shouldn't be possible."

"Yet it is," Ozpin said as he set his mug down and matched Ironwood's gaze. "Naruto is right, James. You're blinding yourself from the real threat."

"What real threat?! Atlesian weaponry, _top secret_ Atlesian projects are being stolen from right under my nose!" Ironwood countered heatedly. He slammed his gloved fist down on the desk, causing a dent to be formed. "That is the threat, Ozpin! There are things that scientists in Atlas had developed that would certainly end the treaty, and I know for a _fact_ the other countries have done the same!"

"James!" Ozpin cut in as he shot up from his seat and glared at the man. "Focus! I am aware of the cold war we went through, I lived in it as much as you have! What we must do is prevent this from _starting_ another War! That is why we united in the first place, is it not, _General_?"

The two held a hard gaze with each other for a long while. Finally, Ironwood clenched his jaw and backed away. "Then tell me what I'm missing, Oz."

"Torchwick is not in command, we know this, and we have an idea, an inkling as to who is." Ozpin calmly explained as he sat back down. "What we don't know is her endgame. We don't know why she has prevented the White Fang and Fourth War from raising arms against one another. If she had wanted to restart The War, then she would've set them against one another by now."

"Maybe she still does and is just waiting for the right time." Ironwood suggested.

"Perhaps, but there's the possibility that there's another reason. Another goal." Ozpin interlaced his hands together and frowned. "The threat we must concern ourselves with is not the future, though, it is here in the present with us."

"Get to the point, Oz. What is it?" Ironwood asked tiredly.

Ozpin looked up at him and then down at his mug. "The two most notable terrorist organizations today have banded together. _That_ is the threat, Ironwood. They can speak with one another, co-ordinate, plan attacks to further spread the anger, distrust, and fear among those that already feel such away about them and the species they represent."

"...Then what do we do, Oz? Continue to let your children run amok? Let my machines get stolen and go on a rampage in other countries under another's banner? The Council of Atlas will want answers, Ozpin."

"As will the councils of Vale, Mistral and Vacuo, James. We will deal with them as we always have."

"Tell the brutal truth to their faces and scare them into listening to our advice?"

"It hasn't stopped working yet, has it?"

"...You're a very shrewd man, Oz. I hope you know that."

"Are you complaining about our methods?"

"On the contrary, I'm complimenting you." Ironwood smiled and sat down across from Ozpin. He took the offered mug of tea and pulled a flask from his jacket. As Ironwood emptied a portion of his flask into his drink, he continued to speak. "Have you heard anything more from our informative crow or our mangy mutt?"

"Nothing since the investigation into one of my teams began. Unfortunately, it's had yet to reveal any results." Ozpin sighed and set his mug down. He looked up at the general. "What do you think of them?"

"I have to concur with Glynda's assessment." Ironwood drawled.

"Explain."

"For one thing, the 'intelligence agent' has an attitude problem, especially towards authority figures. A rebel if I ever saw one. Keeping him in line will not be easy, even for you. Especially for you, since you're juggling this project, Summer's daughter and the Arc boy."

"Ye of little faith...What would you call me when I was younger? An obedient pup that jumped at the chance to please his masters?"

Ironwood gave his fellow headmaster a dry look. "Oz, there's disrespect and then there's a younger you. You were a _hellion_."

"As is he." Ozpin smiled as he tapped his fingers and then gestured to the general. "Please, do continue to give your opinion."

"Well, then there's the lad's partner...his psych profile is concerning, especially when it comes to the line between justice and vengeance. Mostly due to the event that occurred to him when he was younger," Ironwood said. He sighed and idly used a pencil to stir his drink. "Then we come to the former student of The Demon."

"May I remind you that his case was closed?" Ozpin cut in before he took a sip of his coffee."

"You may remind me all you want, Oz, I still agree with Glynda. There's a difference between allowing misguided youths leaving terrorist cells when they knew nothing else and allowing a mercenaries' apprentice to come to your school. Not only that, but to put him with _their_ son...It's a dangerous gamble, Ozpin. You know how Fog Academy works..."

"I do. And it is for that reason alone, I allow him to stay. He has grown spectacularly, his presence among his team is an anchor as much as that of the others. They are a fine chain."

"Yes...attached to a king's flail." Ironwood looked down at the table and brought up an image. "That boy...is undoubtedly _their_ son. He is unpredictable and very hard to deter from action, like his mother."

"But has the drive and cunning mind of his father." Ozpin countered.

"He's _too_ emotional."

"I prefer to see it as inspirational."

"He caused an entire _city_ to go on lockdown for _five_ days, Oz. Over a bowl of _noodles_." Ironwood stared at the man across from him gravely. "What would he do if his _friends_ died? If someone he cared for was killed? If his family was taken captive?"

"I would pray that those responsible were smart enough to not advertise it," Ozpin said wryly, a smile on his face. "And if not, then I would pray that no one would be stupid enough to stand in his path."

"It's a big gamble, Oz. That's all I'm saying."

"You're just mad that I have them."

"...Just pour me some more tea, dammit."

* * *

"I forfeit."

Naruto looked up from the note he was writing in his scroll to scowl at the silver-haired teen he knew to be a criminal in disguise. It had been a few days since the incident with Torchwick and the mysterious member of the Fourth War. Blake and Sun had slipped off to a couple White Fang meetings since then, carefully disguised this time while Kurenai acted as a reluctant transport – Naruto gave his assigned teacher/overseer credit, Asuma had to have used some powerful persuasion– and never brought it up to the other teachers.

However, Naruto was more concerned with the now than he was with the investigation. He cupped his hands around his mouth and jeered loudly as the match was called.

"Don't be a bitch, Bitch!"

"Mr. Uzumaki!" Goodwitch's voice echoed through the arena that they stood in. Several others joined in after Naruto's cry, chief among them was Jaune. Jaune had trained with both Pyrrha, Guy and Team NHKS enough to know when someone was feeling out an opponent. It was one of the lessons Naruto helped teach, and one of the most painful Jaune had limped home from. Naruto didn't hold back as much as Pyrrha and Guy did. The lesson was learned, and Jaune didn't like to see his teammate put under that sort of radar.

"Boo!"

"What's wrong, Mercy? Afraid of the Invincible Girl?"

"Lame!"

"Grow a set!"

"If you start something you should finish it, pretty boy!"

"Enough!" Goodwitch called out with a crack of her crop. Mercury hardly seemed phased by the insults, though he had a smirk plastered on his face. The guy all but embodied the word 'douchebag'.

"I swear, if he wasn't a lying scumbag, I'd think he was related to you, Uchiha." Kurama mumbled. Naruto snorted in agreement and went back to his scroll while Sasuke flipped the both of them off.

"The worst part is that he's not even acting." Haku mumbled. He had been spying on Emerald, Cinder and Mercury for the past two nights with his semblance. However, they all seemed to be aware someone was watching them. Naruto pulled him from the duty when he suggested one was another sensor or had a skill like it.

"Haku, c'mon..." Sasuke groaned. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"

"I am on your side, Sasuke." Haku smiled at the boy. "It's not my fault that you happen to behave like the douchebag down there."

"...Naruto, what did you do? He was fine until you guys started to spar!"

"Don't even try it, Sasuke. You broke him first."

"Ladies, as entertaining as it is to hear you two bicker over your broken toy, can we go now?" Kurama asked with a smirk as the two gave him the bird. "Aw, look. You can count to two."

"Shut up, Kurama." Naruto muttered as they rose and began to file out. Naruto quickly led his team towards Team RWBY. He grimaced as they rounded a corner and a familiar mint haired girl leaned against a pillar. His gaze went to Yang, who saw the girl and moved towards her. Naruto hastened his pace and quickly caught his blonde girlfriend by the arm, forcing her to walk with him past Emerald.

"Naruto..." Yang began with a scowl aimed at her boyfriend.

"Yang. Not now. Not yet." Naruto hissed back while he felt Emerald's red eyes lock onto them. Naruto ignored the feeling and quickly slipped his arm around Yang's waist when she turned to glare back at the girl.

* * *

"Oh, that's gotta sting." Mercury mused with a smirk as he walked up to his mint-haired companion. "Seeing the ex's new arm-warmer."

"Says the Bitch." Emerald shot back with a dull glare aimed at her 'partner'.

Mercury smirked. "Woof."

"Get neutered."

"And end up like that guy's balls? No, I'd rather I know where mine are than have them in some chick's purse."

Emerald groaned and walked away. "You're an ass."

"I knew you were staring!"

"Shut up, Mercury!"

* * *

"So...About the dance..." Yang began as they walked out of Beacon's arena behind their teams.

"Yang, I already agreed to take you. I'll get a stupid monkey suit and everything." Naruto mumbled sourly. That was an argument he did not want to think about. His boys still hurt from how tightly Yang grabbed them. 'Grab him by the balls' was a figure of speech for a reason, dammit!

"Good, good, but there's another problem." Yang's eyes looked over at Blake just as Sun pulled her aside. She beamed. "Or maybe not!"

"...No, yeah, there's a problem." Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Blake had flatly and coldly denied Sun's awkward and excited attempt to ask her out. Sun's head hung and he slunk off back to his team while Blake walked back towards the dormitories. "Aw, man, poor Sun."

"Blake would not turn him down if she was in her right state of mind. I thought letting her and Sun sneak off for the past few nights would do her some good after the whole Mech fight thing." Yang muttered sourly. She sighed and rested her head on Naruto's shoulder. "I thought boys were supposed to be the clueless ones."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Naruto asked with a frown aimed at his girlfriend.

Yang grinned at him. "Nothing, Whisker Boy. So, anyway, there was another thing I wanted to ask you. We're still kind of missing ...entertainment."

"...We could go prank CRDL again."

"I meant for the dance, Naruto."

"...And your point is...?"

Yang groaned and palmed her face. "Never mind, I'll just let Weiss take care of it."

Naruto gave her a confused look. The dance was something that Team CFVY was originally supposed to organize. This changed when their away mission was extended for longer than they anticipated, Weiss and Yang scooped up the challenge...and that meant Naruto was supposed to help when it came to crunch time.

Oh, the joys of hanging light fixtures entertained him to no end. However, the preparation of the dance was something Yang enjoyed to do, and aside from Weiss being Weiss every now and then, it wasn't really all that bad. So, playing the part of a dutiful boyfriend, Naruto decided to pry.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"It's nothing, Whisker Boy. Weiss can figure it out."

Naruto gave Yang a dry look. "Yang, not only are you planning the 'Dance of the Year' with your friend, but you are going to meddle – rightfully so – in your partner's love life. If I can lighten your load in any way, let me."

Yang smiled at him. "You're sweet, Naruto."

"Don't let Ruby hear you say that. She'll try to eat me."

"She can try. I got first dibs."

Naruto grinned at her. "Is that a promise?"

Yang shoved him lightly. "Maybe. Depends on if you can do this favor for me."

"Name it and I promise to do whatever it is you desire," Naruto said with his grin still in place.

Yang arched a brow and matched his grin. "Even if I ask you to strip naked and streak across campus?"

"Psh, as if I hadn't already done that before." Naruto scoffed. He smirked lightly as he thought back about that day. Oh, it was a Tuesday morning those third years will never forget. He got a _lot_ of lady friends that day. Shame he had to give the numbers to Sasuke after he lost the bet of not getting caught. Then again, Naruto was with Yang now so... it balanced out, he supposed.

"Yeah, right." Yang rolled her eyes and gave him a look of disbelief. "I'd have heard about it and your punishment by now if you did."

"I did. It was on the school site for about ten minutes before Goodwitch pulled it." Naruto pouted. "Then she made me walk around, dressed like a, ugh, _butler_." He grabbed his head. "I can still feel the horrible hair gel she used to comb my hair. The itch...the burn...the un-Naruto-ish hair!"

"...Where was I when this all happened?!" Yang asked with a frown.

"I think in either Oobleck's or Peach's class." Naruto shrugged. "I was hiding for the rest of the day after that. Plus, no one recognized me with my hair so anti-me."

"How does no one else know about this!?"

"My team knows, but they don't risk the retribution I will bestow upon them if they say anything. As for everyone else..." Naruto shrugged. "Goodwitch probably scared everyone into silence. I did run right through her classroom first."

Yang gasped in horror and then pointed at him. "Wait a minute...Does this mean that Professor _Goodwitch_ has seen your junk before _I_ have?!"

"Huh, I guess so." Naruto mused. He grinned and interlaced his hands behind his head. "I'm extremely proud of myself. I made the librarian blush."

"...That lucky old..." Yang frowned heavily and crossed her arms over her chest as she began to grumble to herself. She gave Naruto a dark glower as he chuckled at her. "Can't believe you didn't share that with me sooner."

"Well, we're not exactly as promiscuous as we poise ourselves," Naruto said pointedly with a knowing grin that Yang gave a huff to.

He and Yang may have done some heavy petting, but that was it. No clothes came off, at all during their alone time. There was a lot of temptation, especially when they flirted with each other like this, but they both had a silent agreement that they weren't ready. It had yet to be a full month since they started dating, after all. There was such a thing as too soon.

"I'm not going to lie and say that a photo wouldn't be nice." Yang muttered.

Naruto arched a brow. "Go ask a third year for one. I bet they have photos."

"They're all off preparing for the dance or on missions of their own!" She returned. Yang let out a frustrated whine and stomped her foot. "This is so not fair."

"Well...I can make it up to you," Naruto said slyly. "Either I help you with the dance...or I streak again."

"You wouldn't dare." Yang frowned at him. "You'd get banned from the dance and I'd have to find another date."

"There is a reason that 'grabbing by the balls' is a saying only." Naruto returned with a gravely serious look on his face. He was not going to let the injustice to his boys stand. He was not a spineless fool. This was a stand for all of mankind. And a test to see which was stronger: Yang's Inner Romantic or Yang's Lust.

"...But the literal sense is far more effective."

"Offer's going once." Naruto held up a finger.

"Oh, crap, you're serious!?"

"Going twice!"

"Fine! God," Yang said with a sigh. "I'll wait until _after_ the dance to see you naked."

 _So she's a romantic. Good to know._ Naruto grinned at his girlfriend and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. "So, what can your streaking boyfriend do to help with the dance?"

Yang gave him a small dirty look before she smirked lightly. "We need entertainment. Music, a DJ or band. Something."

Naruto blinked. "Is that all? Piece of cake"

Yang arched a brow. "What, do you know The Achieve Men or something."

Naruto gave her a dry look. "...You're a fan of theirs, aren't you?"

"...Maybe..."

"...Of all the flaws you could have, one had to be your taste in music, didn't it?"

"Its not the music I'm a fan of."

Now it was Naruto's turn to give Yang a dirty look.

Yang gave him a challenging grin. "You walked into it."

"I know," Naruto said with a sigh. He rubbed his neck. "Well, can't fault you for that. I was into Brittany Shears for a while when I was younger."

A dry look replaced the smirk on Yang's face. "Really?"

"What? That vid for her song 'U R Master' was hot...still is, actually." Naruto grinned lightly as he stared off at nothing. "Very hot."

"I wouldn't know. Haven't seen it." Yang shrugged. Sure she'd heard the song before, but the music video wasn't something she wanted to see.

"...I'll show you it later, but, until then, I can cover the music." Naruto mused with a grin. He slipped a hand into his jacket pocket and tapped his scroll while thoughts raced through his head.

"As long as you don't wear a bear head, it'll be fine."

"Can do."

* * *

"I'm sorry I thought I heard something stupider than normal come out of your mouth. Can you repeat that?" Sasuke asked, disbelief plain to see on his face.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, man! Don't act like it won't be fun!"

"You're right. It won't be fun. We'll have to put _hours_ of work in our only free day just so that you can win brownie points with your girlfriend."

"Not just for her, but for _all_ the girls, man! You do this right, and you can finally find that special someone to fill Sakura's space." Naruto then looked at his other two teammates, who were still a bit off kilter from his first request. "Speaking of, has anyone seen her around yet?"

"She's in a special medical school in Vacuo. Not a Hunters Academy," Kurama said. He rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Naruto, do you have any idea how hard it will be to actually pull this off?"

Naruto tilted his head and thought about it for a moment before he looked back at Kurama. "Next to impossible."

"And you still want to do this because...?"

"I like to be in the spotlight." Naruto grinned.

"And he wants to make his girlfriend wet herself in all the right ways."

"Thin ice, Sasuke. You're on thin ice."

"I don't see why we can't at least try," Haku said. He smiled gently as both Kurama and Sasuke glowered at him.

"...Haku, when did you go back to his side?!" Kurama demanded with a finger pointed at the beaming Naruto.

"That's two for my brilliant plan." Naruto grinned as he and Haku shared a high-five.

"One, it's a stupid plan." Sasuke argued with a finger raised. "And two, there's the same amount of people opposed to it as there are for it, so we're in a stalemate."

"That's because you're a nonbeliever."

There was a faint knocking that got their attention. Curious, Haku went to the doorway and pulled the door open to find Jaune with an acoustic guitar strapped over his shoulder. Jaune's eyes were closed and he began to strum, slightly off key.

"Wei-i-oh. Darn it, why do I keep forgetting that you guys are 432 and RWBY is in 423?" Jaune muttered with his head hung. He started to walk away when Naruto rushed out and grabbed him by the arm. Before he could argue, Naruto pulled Jaune in and Haku shut the door with a smile on his face.

"Ha! Three against two!" Naruto beamed at his two annoyed teammates.

"Three against what?" Jaune asked.

Kurama glowered at him. "Jaune...you like that guitar, right?"

"Yes?"

"Would you still like it if I broke it over your head?"

"Uh...no?"

"Didn't think so. Come here." Kurama pointed at the wall on the side with him and Sasuke. Jaune quickly made his way over to their side and the Faunus smirked at the whiskered teen. "Three against two, Naruto."

"Oh come on, that's scare tactics!"

"You dragged him into it without telling him what or why."

"Semantics!"

"Uh, can I go now?" Jaune asked.

"No." Sasuke glared at him and the leader of JNPR swallowed heavily.

"O-Okay.

"Jaune." Haku gained the room's attention as he smiled. "You know I wouldn't break a guitar over your head, right?"

"Yes." Jaune nodded slowly.

"Right. I would cram it up your anus and pull it along with your intestines out of your mouth. Then, I would proceed to feed you the stew that your innards and precious instrument would be made with."

This was all said with a small smile on the feminine boy's face. It was then that Jaune reminded himself that not only were the members of Team NHKS the most loyal of friends one could have, but also the most terrifying ones imaginable. Trails of tears poured down his face as all four members looked at him intently.

"I just wanted to ask Weiss out to the prom..." he whimpered.

The intent looks became replaced with dry ones.

"Dude...Seriously?" Naruto asked. He threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Sneeze doesn't like you. I'm fairly certain she's made it clear like eight times."

"At least." Kurama agreed.

"Yeah, but, maybe if we go out-"

"Jaune, trust me when I say you're a good guy," Sasuke said as he put a hand on the blond's shoulder. "You're a good leader, caring, and a great friend. No offense-"

"And here comes the offense." Jaune mumbled.

"But Weiss isn't waiting for the 'good guy friend' to come in and sweep her off her feet." Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "She's the heiress of a dust company and boys have been using corny lines, stupid get ups and practically every cliché in the book to ware her down."

"What's your point?" Jaune asked.

"If you want Weiss to go out with you, ask her while being yourself." Haku suggested.

Naruto nodded. "Don't try to be her hero, be the usual zero."

"Ignore him, he's an idiot that's with another idiot."

"Kurama, I _will_ punt you."

Kurama ignored the threat and kept his gaze on Jaune. "PJ, listen to me. Don't set yourself up to fall, because that hurts twice as much. Broaden your gaze, ask your team what they think you should do before you go and make a fool of yourself. Again."

"...All I got out of that is you think I'm making a fool out of myself by asking Weiss out," Jaune said with a frown. "Like she's out of my league."

"She's not out of your league, but she is out of your reach." Kurama pointed out. "Take a hint, Jaune. This is a fight you probably won't win, and if you do, someone else will be hurt in the process."

"...I thought you were an emotional virgin?"

"Uchiha, shut up."

Jaune ignored the two and thought about Kurama's words. The fox-tailed Faunus had never steered him wrong thus far, even if there were a few moments that Jaune wished Kurama had never witnessed. With sad eyes, Jaune took the guitar off and set it aside.

"I just thought...I mean, my dad said that all girls love confidence." Jaune sighed.

"They also like to be treated equally and not like a prize," Sasuke said. He shrugged. "A lot of guys ten times better looking than us use that same philosophy, Jaune, and it pays off for them because they're assholes and the women they date are most of the time mentally brain dead bombshells. Some people are more interested in appearance, money and power more than they are in a personality."

"Weiss isn't one of those people and I don't think you are either. If you do want to be with Weiss, hang out with her more, not on a date, but in a group. Be a friend, not a flirt," Naruto said with a nod. He grinned. "Granted, Yang and I are an exception to that, but that's just how we are."

"Speaking of, you two seem closer..." Kurama noted with a scrutinizing gaze locked on his partner. "What did you two talk about on your night out together?"

"Sex, drugs and rock n' roll." Naruto grinned.

Jaune rubbed his head. "Well...I guess, maybe you've got a point. I'll still ask her to the dance...but, I mean...I don't see anyone asking me."

"No one's asked Sasuke, Kurama or Haku, either." Naruto pointed out. He gestured to his partner. "I mean, look at Haku. You'd think guys and girls would be lining up outside the door to ask him out!"

"Naruto. Stop talking." Haku groaned into a hand.

"What? You're pretty, dude. Don't deny it."

"He's got the figure...would you like a dress, Haku?" Kurama teased. "I'm sure the girls will love it."

"Kurama, _I_ will punt you."

Jaune watched the interaction with a smile. Though he was still terrified of the four boys' and their threats, he was certain that they were the best friends one could ever ask for.

Still...he should get feedback from Ren, just to be safe. Ren was more attuned to dealing with girls than anyone, having Nora for a friend. Not to mention, he was probably the only _sane_ male friend Jaune had. Maybe even the _only_ sane friend he had.

"Back to the subject at hand, Jaune's still on our side, so we're doing this thing!"

"For the love of Oum - Naruto, no he's not!"

"Yes, he is! Haku's threat was way better than anything you two chuckleheads could come up with, so we win!"

Jaune's smile waned as they started to bicker over who scared him the most.. He _really_ needed to get out of there before they started to actively try to scare him.

* * *

 **AN: Aw, a sweet little ending for ya. Now to start the next chapter so I can hopefully post it after my** _ **ungodly**_ **work hours tomorrow.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **RELANGAINGA!**


	16. Gold

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XVI: Gold**

* * *

Naruto hummed to himself and tapped his pencil on a pad of paper from where he sat on stage while he oversaw Yang and Weiss prepare the hall for the dance. His notes in his Scroll were limited and paper copy always felt so much better. His foot tapped in the air and he nodded his head to a beat that only he could hear. Two fabrics of what seemed to be the same color were thrust between his face and his notepad.

"Uzumaki, do something useful and pick a tablecloth." Weiss instructed.

Naruto looked up at her dryly. "I am doing something useful."

"Useful for me."

"Do you not see me writing?"

"Right now." Weiss snapped with a twitch in her eye.

"Alright, this one." Naruto pulled at his orange jacket with a grin on his face.

Weiss deadpanned and walked over to the leader of her team with a scowl on her face. "I'll just go ask Ruby."

"You'll all see the glory of orange one day!" Naruto argued with a huff as he looked back at his notepad.

"Don't get your hopes up," Yang said as she walked by with a massive speaker in her arm. She set it down with a bang that caused the nearby seated Ruby to jump slightly, but the girl's depressed face didn't change until Weiss shoved the pieces of cloths in her face. Yang looked over at her boyfriend to see him bobbing his head again to a beat. Curious, she peered over the edge of his paper and pouted when Naruto pulled it from her view. "Hey, I'm the one that asked you to do something for the entertainment!"

"No spoilers, Yang." Naruto returned with a grin as he continued to write in his book.

"You did what?" Weiss asked with a frown.

"Busted~!"

"Shut up, Whisker Boy." Yang hissed before she looked at Weiss sheepishly. "Uh...he volunteered to help?"

"I said I'd do what needed to be done! She's the one who put me on entertainment."

"Yang Xiao-Long..." Weiss glared at her. "The fog machines are one thing, but letting your troublemaking hooligan of a boyfriend take care of the entertainment for the party that _we're_ in charge of?"

"Hey, you're getting your stupid doilies, aren't you?" Yang shot back.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he wrote in his notebook. "Hm. Doilies."

"You be quiet." Weiss glared at the lounging teen. She looked back at her buxom teammate with a frown. "We agreed that I would handle the entertainment."

"And you were supposed to sort it out yesterday." Yang countered.

"I have it under control."

"Well that's because I already took care of it for you."

"Is this a bad time?" Neptune asked as he and Sun walked in the ballroom to see Yang and Weiss nose to nose with one another.

"No, you're just in time Nerd Boy. Grab a chair and watch the show."

"Uzumaki, thin ice!" Weiss hissed before she spun around and smiled at the blue-haired boy. "Neptune! Glad to see you."

"...Ouch, totally ignored by the Ice Queen." Sun mumbled with his arms crossed.

"Get used to it." Naruto chimed from where he lounged on the stage.

Neptune grinned back at the white haired girl. "You too, Snow Angel."

"Gag me." "I think I'm going to puke."

"Thank you, Peanut Gallery," Neptune said to Sun and Naruto dryly before he looked at the incomplete team of girls. "So, are you girls ready to dress up?"

"Please, I'll be drawing eyes from all over," Yang said modestly with a grin plastered on her face. She nudged her boyfriend's foot and got a grunt. "I've got the hottest accessory."

"I doubt it'll be anything other than an orange monstrosity," Weiss said with a roll of her eyes. She looked at the two Haven students. "So, what will you two be wearing?"

"Uh, this?" Sun gestured to his current attire.

Neptune cut in front of Sun and held a hand up. "Ignore him. He knows not of what he speaks."

"Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I was born in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt and tie kind of place."

"Thank you!" Naruto exclaimed with a raise of his pencil. He grunted when Yang smacked his foot again. "Oi! He's not wrong. Most of our standard academy dances took place under the stars. Heck, I don't remember my grad party...but that's probably because my godfather spiked the punch bowl and then dared me to chug the whole thing."

"Oh yeah, I remember you telling me about that," Sun said with a laugh. "Worst hangover ever, right?"

"An understatement of the century." Naruto drawled as he went back to writing in his notebook. He sighed. "Shame too. No booze this time. The Librarian won't allow it."

"Well, maybe not during..." Yang trailed off.

"Yang!" Ruby nudged her sister with an elbow.

"What?" Yang arched a brow.

"Before we get to the after party, is Blake still being...Blake-y?" Sun asked nervously as he rubbed his arm. "I mean...it won't really be a party without her."

"That's what I've been saying!" Ruby threw her hands up. "Finally, someone gets it!"

"That may be so, but not for the same reasons, Ruby." Naruto added, confusing the young team leader with his words. The whiskered blond rolled his legs up over his head and kipped up to his feet. He dropped down from the stage and flipped his book shut while he walked to the exit.

"Where are you going?" Yang asked.

"Getting too loud in here for me to think. See you guys later," Naruto said with a wave. He stuck a hand in his pocket and began to whistle a tune as he left.

"He seems...happy," Neptune said with a furrowed brow.

"He's excited. Yang has him in charge of the music," Ruby said.

Weiss scowled. "I never agreed to that."

"It's too late now," Yang said with a smirk. She pointed at Weiss. "You finish up what you need to do for the dance." Her finger then went to Sun. "And you don't need to worry about Blake." Lilac eyes drifted to confused silver. "You either. I'll take care of it."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked as Yang started to leave the ballroom.

"I have a plan. Don't worry about it, Ruby. You just find a date for the dance or I'll find one for you."

* * *

"I can't believe that you _actually_ got asked out by that guy," Kurama said as he and Haku walked through the halls of Beacon. The Faunus was grinning madly while his feminine friend was red in the face. "I mean, it's one thing since he thought you were a girl, but if he believed you were a guy, I think it'd be even funnier since you're straight. Wait, you _are_ straight, right?"

"Yes." Haku muttered as his cheeks flamed.

"Just wanted to double check. I don't judge. I doubt I even have a stance to judge from. I guess the most accurate phrase is I don't care. Hm, but that makes me sound insensitive. Granted, I'm a dick, but not that much of a dick."

"Please stop talking." Haku groaned. Why had Sasuke left him to this hell? Oh, right. He and Kurama were still pissed that Naruto had gotten his way after a long argument that only ended when they conceded defeat. Since Naruto had sought sanctuary with his girlfriend, that left Haku to punish. Sasuke was on the prowl to find a date for himself, which left Haku and Kurama to find some instruments.

"What? I just think that all romance is beautiful. And yes, that includes Naruto's unholy grouping with his female equivalent. I know it sounds horrible to put it that way, but can you imagine the little monsters that would emerge from that coupling? Talk about terrifying. And we'd be the first to babysit! Sure, Ruby could, but...she eats sugar like its going out of style. That's not something I would promote."

"Ugh, someone kill me." Haku groaned and hung his head.

"Kill you? Why would anyone want to kill you?"

The two teens looked towards the owner of the voice and found one Coco Adel approaching from behind them. Her hand was firmly wrapped around another belonging to the nervous rabbit-eared Faunus that was Velvet Scarlatina.

"Coco? Velvet?" Haku looked between the two with confusion on his face. "I thought you two were delayed on your mission?"

"Well, we would've been if Aoba hadn't been there. Tell you the details later, but first, we came here for a reason," Coco said as she gave Velvet a look.

Velvet shuffled nervously. "B-but Coco..."

"Velvet, we talked about this." Coco grinned as she stepped back and pushed Velvet forward. "You got this, girl. Just do it!"

Velvet stumbled forward and stood in front of her fellow Faunus. Her hands fidgeted and stuttered mumbles left her lips. Kurama arched a brow above his Pinely sunglasses when she looked back at Coco. Coco mouthed the word 'breathe' and gave her a thumbs-up. Velvet took a deep breath before she faced Kurama and her eyes squeezed shut.

"K-Kurama w-will you g-go to the d-d-dance with m-me?"

Kurama's neutral look became one of surprise. After a minute of silence passed, his raised brows lowered and a light dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head and looked to the side. "Well, yeah, sure."

"...Y-you will?" Velvet asked as she peeked through one eye at him. Haku blinked and slowly smiled at his teammate while Coco flat out beamed.

"I mean, why not? It's a dance, it's natural that someone would've asked, and I guess going with a friend wouldn't be so bad..." Kurama mumbled lowly.

"A _cute_ friend."

"Watch it, Adel." Kurama warned with a pointed look at the girl while Velvet flushed bright red.

Coco grinned and slung an arm around her teammate. "I'm watching, foxy, and Coco is pleased. Good going, Velvet, snagged your wild man before someone else would've tried to. Now all we have to do is find Yatsuhashi a date and get Fox to do something with his hair." Coco pointed upward dramatically. "But first, I must ensure my adorable little cupcake is dressed to kill for her date!"

"C-Coco!" Velvet flushed brightly as she was dragged away.

Haku sent a smirk to Kurama, who looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Not one goddamn word, Yuki. Not a goddamn word."

"I didn't say anything."

"Screw you, Yuki! Go ask the Uchiha out, why don't you?"

"Only if we can double date with you and Velvet."

Haku laughed as Kurama let out a frustrated snarl and stormed off. A few passing students from Mistral and Atlas clung to the wall or started to fall over, weakened by Kurama's Semblance getting the best of him. Haku chuckled and hurried after the fox Faunus.

"Wait, Kurama, we need to color coordinate our suits! You should wear something red for your Velvet cake!"

"Fuck you, Haku! Fuck you!"

"Careful, Kurama, Velvet could get wind of this."

A soft chuckle left Haku's lips as Kurama trembled with anger. It would seem the tables had turned, and the Faunus was not used to such a thing. It was almost mean in a way, but Haku felt that it was justified considering he had been asked out by a fellow guy, who was as embarrassed as Haku was when Haku clarified he was a male as well.

Ah, sweet retribution.

A buzz from his right pocket made Haku pull his Scroll out and read the message within. His eyebrow rose slightly in confusion and he looked up as Kurama walked back towards him. The Faunus had a scowl on his face and his Scroll was tightly gripped in his hand.

"Come on, let's go help the idiot with his 'plan'." Kurama took a step past Haku before he whirled around and glared at the teen. "Say one word to either of them about what happened...and the whole school will be convinced that you are a prostitute before the day ends."

"Alright, alright, I will let you tell them about your date."

"I'm serious."

"I know, Kurama." Haku chuckled lightly as he walked with the Faunus towards the location the mass message had told them to go to. Haku would admit, he was curious as to what Naruto wanted all of them at the library for.

* * *

Blake was tiredly scrolling through the screen of information set before her while she sat in the library, with a few other students from the other schools mingling with her fellow classmates. As her amber eyes danced from left to right, there was a quick motion she caught sight of in the corner of her eyes. A red dot slowly crawled onto the screen from the side of the computer. Blake blinked in bewilderment as the dot slowly began to bounce on her screen.

Too focused on the screen and far too sleep deprived to take any real action, Blake was ignorant to the patterned, almost hypnotic beat that started to play as many Beacon students started to open and close their books in sync with the dot's bounce. Her ear twitched when a tinkling bell was rung and she looked away from the dot. A glance showed that nothing had changed around her and she looked back at the screen to find the dot had vanished. The synchronized beat of books opening started again, accompanied by books roughly placed on the shelf in rhythm.

Blake paid this no mind, far too engrossed in her search, and focused on the screen before her. The dot appeared again mid bounce and Blake followed it with her eyes. She ignored the bell as it was tinkled time and again, her narrowing gaze locked on the dot in front of her.

Blake looked away again when a tune was whistled in time with the bell and the books. The sounds stopped immediately after her gaze left the dot. Blake's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she wondered what the hell was going on. Deciding to ignore it and focus on her quest, Blake looked back to her computer and opened a new page.

The dot returned, accompanied by the sounds, no, music once more. Blake's computer screen went dark, the windows were covered, and the lights went out while the sounds played. Nothing but darkness filled the library and everyone save for Blake was nearly blind, but the Beacon students continued with their actions. While the students not from Beacon started to use their scrolls to see what was going on around them, a washboard and guitar accompanied the books, whistle and bells.

The dot on Blake's screen returned and started to bounce in time with the books once again. Blake kept her eyes on the dot and ignored the shifting shadows around her as the public access came alive. There was a moment for the throat to clear before a voice passed through. On Blake's screen, the dot was replaced by golden words that bounced in time with the beat.

" _First comes the blessing of all that you dream, then comes the curses of diamonds and rings. Only at first did it have its appeal, but now you can't tell the false from the real._ "

Blake narrowed her eyes as the last text faded away. Was it her, or did that sound like Sasuke?

"Who can you tru-u-ust..." A redheaded male student from another school sung out from a few tables away. Blake whirled around to look at him and her gaze went wide in slight shock and horror when she saw all of the students had donned the white masks of Grimm, similar to the White Fang.

An orange haired girl wearing pink gloves that was opening and closing her book not too far away looked up at Blake. The white Grimm mask didn't hide the wide smile she had on her face. "Who can you tru-ust..."

Blake looked up to see a familiar whiskered teen seated atop a bookshelf, his own White Fang mask in place while he crossed his arms over his chest. Before Blake could speak, Naruto dropped down from the bookshelf and landed on the other side of her table. A few computer screens and select lights turned on, but gave off golden hues in the dim lighting.

"When everything, everything, everything you touch turns to gold, gold, gold?" Naruto asked as his Semblance lightly came to life and his body shone the very color he mentioned. He circled around the table and reached out to her, causing Blake to back away from his hand in slight fear. She wasn't even sure if this was a dream or not. "Everything, everything, everything you touch turns to...gold...gold!"

A haunting harmonious vocal came from his lips as he touched her table and it seemed to solidify into gold. Blake scrambled away and ran down between the bookshelves, passing a couple of Beacon students that wore White Fang masks and made grabs at her. Closer looks would've shown that one was a girl with long red hair, and the other was a boy with a pink strand in his black hair.

"Whoa... Ooo ...Gold! Whoa..." The library's occupants' voices sang out as they joined in with Naruto's frightening harmony. "Ooo ...Gold! Whoa... Ooo ...Gold!"

The golden lights, including Naruto's Semblance, disappeared and Blake clung to the far wall. She looked around with wide eyes and a pounding heart as she took in the swaying forms of the other students. A surprised yell was let out, but quickly silenced and Blake tried to determine whether this was real, a dream or a nightmare. Maybe she'd fallen asleep at the computer?

Sasuke's voice came through the public access speaker again as the first beat returned and the harmony dwindled to nothing. " _Statues and empires are all at your hands, water to wine and the finest of sands. When all that you have's turning stale and it's cold, oh you'll no longer fear when your heart's turned to gold._ "

Nightmare. It had to be a nightmare, Blake decided. Her restless investigation had gotten to her. She fell asleep reading about a Dust robbery and her subconscious was messing with her. That makes sense, it had to be a nightmare. Even Team NHKS weren't this quick to formulate a plan. So to wake up, she'd have to leave the library and go to her room. Then she could get back to work and stop the White Fang and Torchwick.

"Who can you tru-u-ust..." A teen Blake brushed past in an effort to reach the door to the library sang lowly as he reached out to her with his offered hand. His golden tail swished briefly against her leg, but she paid it no mind.

"Who can you tru-ust..." Began another that popped around a corner, his mask inches from Blake's face when she stopped. Had she looked closer before she ran down the nearby aisle, she would've noticed he had short cropped blue hair.

Around her, the melody started up through the voices of the other students and the lights returned to the eerie gold setting they were in. Blake kept her eyes open and her ears twitched as she watched out for Team NHKS' leader.

A mirror appeared in front of her just before she neared the end of the book aisle. A teen dressed like Haku usually did outside of class stepped out of the mirror. The one difference he and Haku had was the white mask on his face. It was round and had black slits for eyes, while two red and slightly yellow waves came from the left of his face and curved below the eyes.

Naruto's voice came from above Blake as the not-Haku drew Snowfall and cracked the whip. The mirror disappeared behind the masked-teen while Blake shakily backed away.

"When everything, everything, everything you trust turns to gold, gold, gold!" Not-Haku advanced as the rest of the library's occupants joined in Naruto's chorus.

"When everything, everything, everything you trust turns to gold...Gold! Ooo..."

Blake turned and ran through the aisle. She pushed her way past the blue-haired teen and made a break for the door. The creepy chorus echoed around her as a blond haired boy with an armored black jacket, a Jaune look-alike with a Grimm mask made a grab for her. The door, when she reached it, was locked. Blake turned around and her bagged eyes went wide as Team JNPR along with Sun and his team stood opposite of her, the way that the lights flickered and the Grimm masks made them seem much more intimidating.

The public access speaker came to life again, but the source seemed closer. A glance to her immediate left, where the librarian – not Goodwitch, but a nice old woman named Melinda Reed – usually stood behind her counter. In Ms. Reed's place was a teen dressed in Sasuke's normal battle attire, but with a ringed helmet that had three comma like holes on it.

" _I'm dying to feel again! Oh, anything at all! But I feel nothing...Nothing..._ Nothing!" Sasuke's grip on the public access speaker slackened and he, along with Teams JNPR and SSSN, disappeared as the lights went out.

Blake tried to quell her beating heart and looked around nervously as the whistling, bells and books continued. The dimmed golden lights exploded on the opposite side of the room as the chorus continued. In front of her was the silhouette of another Faunus she knew, for a moment he looked like an old partner, but when she focused, she could make out Kurama's features easily. Especially the white mask that concealed his eyes. His hand shot out and grabbed her head as the word 'gold' echoed around her.

"No!" Blake jolted awake in her seat in front of the computer. A few students nearby shushed her and Blake grimaced in embarrassment. She looked around, her heart rate calmed as she took in the unfamiliar faces plain to see, absent of the Grimm masks that haunted her. A glance at a nearby clock showed that hours had passed since Blake last checked, far too many for her to simply be engrossed in work, but enough to support her theory that what she just experienced was a dream. A nightmare.

What that meant, however, was something Blake wasn't sure of.

Blake looked back at her computer and recognized the data on the screen as the same data she was looking at before she had fallen asleep. She looked around for any sign of a red dot, but it seemed to be g-there. Blake's eyes narrowed on the dot and she bristled as it danced cheerfully on the screen. The seemingly happy dot traveled down to her hand and Blake glared at it.

Not only was the damn thing in her nightmare, but now it was distracting her. Blake furrowed her brow and looked around for the source of the dot. When she glanced back, the dot had flickered away before it reappeared on her hand. She followed the dot with her eyes as it traveled down to the spot beside her table.

The dot rushed off towards the library doors and then rushed back. It circled around her foot and table leg. Annoyed with the distraction, Blake stood and decided to find the source of the dot and stop them. Even if that meant kicking someone where it hurt.

The dot danced gleefully in front of Blake's feet, forcing her to keep her eyes on it as she walked away from her desk, lest she lose track of the dot. This was insulting, it made her look like a cat chasing a laser pointer. Granted, the irony was a bit humorous and this would be an interesting story to tell her team later – if they weren't already the cause for it – but first came the beating, then the investigation and then the story. In that order.

The dot led her all the way to the library's exit before it vanished entirely. Irked, Blake looked up and glared at the source of her annoyance. Her teammate and partner, Yang.

Really, why wasn't she surprised?

Yang bought the damn thing after Blake revealed her true species to them. She was miffed it didn't cause Blake to spaz out like a cat, but apparently the fact it annoyed Blake must have made it worth its money. Blake decided that she'd destroy the laser pointer after she'd chewed Yang out. Before she could even begin to do just that, Yang grabbed her arm.

"Glad you could make it. Come on, we need to talk somewhere a bit more private."

Blake was then dragged away from the library with a scowl on her face.

That dream wasn't a nightmare, it was a premonition. Red dots and gold? They had to mean watch out for Yang.

* * *

Naruto played with a paddleball while he stood outside of the lecture hall Yang had acquisitioned to have the heart-to-heart with Blake. Naruto had the paddleball only to keep himself busy so he didn't eavesdrop entirely. He may have eavesdropped only a little bit, but he learned something very interesting in the process.

It wasn't about the attack on Yang and Ruby when they were younger. He already knew about Yang's search for her mother, it was bound to come up when Naruto asked how and why Yang knew Junior in the first place. She was surprisingly open, possibly due to Naruto's trust in her when he told her what Team NHKS was trusted with. It only showed how close they'd become in such a short amount of time that she'd told him her greatest failure as an older sister. There was a tidbit that Yang had left out.

Yang had only told Naruto that they were saved, and Naruto had assumed it was their father who came to the rescue. The name she mentioned to Blake as she told the story was far more interesting.

Qrow.

The name was infamous in Vacuo, more-so for the horrible tales about him in his time during a small confliction between Vale and Vacuo.

The Scare Qrow, the children called him. He would come to Vacuo and snatch children's fingers if they ever disobeyed their parents. The story was rooted to a battle where another famous figure in Vacuo had snuck behind enemy lines. That figure was none other than Naruto's godfather, The Toad Sage. Naruto learned the truth when he was on his trip with the older man and they'd overheard a mother warn a boy after he acted out in public.

" _The Scare Qrow? Sliced off my finger?_ " The Toad Sage had guffawed at the thought. " _Do you see my hands, Brat? Are they missing any fingers? Qrow didn't cut my finger, Naruto, he cut my_ fingernails _. Broke through my Semblance to do so with that weed whacker of his. It was impressive, but now the word of mouth must've made him into a monster. Poor guy. That young crow would never hurt anyone too seriously. He fought to disable people, but kill Grimm. That is the difference between a Huntsman and a Soldier, Brat. One protects their country, the other protects the world._ "

"...I'll save a dance for you if you show me the same courtesy." Yang's offer broke Naruto from his trip down memory lane. Yang smiled at her boyfriend as she shut the door to the lecture hall behind her. "I think that went well."

"Probably." Naruto agreed and slipped his paddleball into his back pocket. The two walked side by side, close enough to touch each other if they so chose as they started to walk down the hall towards the teachers' housing. They had to report back to Kurenai and Asuma still.

"And you were so sure that your library plan was needed." Yang snorted with a smirk. "Told you I could handle it."

Naruto shook his head. "I never believed you couldn't."

"Then why did you go through with that stupid plan?" Yang asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"First of all, don't act like you didn't like it." Naruto gave his girlfriend a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine, it wasn't _bad_. I wouldn't open with it, though. It's kind of heavy."

"Which is exactly the point of it," Naruto said. He slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled lightly. "The sounds distracted Blake enough for her to not recognize the faint smell of Asuma's cigarette alongside the aroma we filled the library with."

"Still not cool with the whole 'drugging my teammate' thing," Yang said blandly as she gave Naruto a pointed look.

Naruto shrugged. "The human mind is the strongest muscle, Yang. People underestimate it all the time, especially when it looks like you don't use it."

"Uh-huh."

"There was a slight possibility that, when one considered how Blake acted, she might not have been as susceptible to your understanding of her obsession," Naruto said. He arched a brow when Yang punched his arm. "Ow. What was that for?"

"Doubting me."

"I didn't doubt you, I doubted Blake." After these words left his mouth, he received another, much harder punch. Strong enough to bruise Naruto while his semblance was passive, which meant it was hard. "Ow!"

"That's for doubting my teammate." Yang huffed.

"She wasn't _acting_ like your teammate, Yang," Naruto said with a grimace as he rubbed his arm. "Blake was sleep deprived and running on fumes. As a Faunus, her body has different requirements from you or I, and a healthy amount of sleep is one of them. Humans need somewhere between seven and nine hours for sleep, but a Faunus' sleep cycle can range from between eight to ten hours or more. It really depends on the animal traits they have."

"And how are you so knowledgeable about this?" Yang asked with a raised brow. They rounded a corner and went through the building's exit while Naruto answered her.

"I've lived with a Faunus for nearly all my life. Kurama needs no less than five hours of sleep to function well, but that's after years of practice in Kon. Through him, I've learned a lot about Faunus physiology. Things like shedding, marking territory, and even heat cycles that are rumored to occur with Faunus are not uncommon with us. Humans shed dead skin and hair cells every day and we 'mark our territory' similar to primates do. Heat cycles aren't present, but that doesn't mean we don't have a prime time in our life for reproduction."

"Way to turn our conversation into a sex talk, Naruto." Yang smirked.

"Shut up, I wasn't done." Naruto returned childishly with a very mature raspberry aimed at her that made her laugh. "Anyway, the theory of the matter is that if our bodies aren't so different than a Faunus', which it isn't since the two species _can_ procreate, then why should our brains be any different? Sure, there's stuff like how much further Faunus could see, smell, hear and etcetera, but I'm talking psychologically. With enough sleep deprivation, Humans can start to lose their grip on reality. Their minds are overworked and the–"

"Body will shut down so that the system can recover, yes, I took those same classes in my Basic Academy, Naruto," Yang said with her arms crossed once again. "What's your point? That the 'dream' you cocked up was really clever? Ooo, you put Blake in a music video, how original."

"A psychological scare!" Naruto corrected firmly as they walked across campus. "Like I said, the sounds were to distract Blake's conscious brain from recognizing the odor in the air. I really have to thank Kurenai for help on the lights and the timing, though."

"Lights and timing?" Yang asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, well, this was a spur of the moment thing, so we couldn't just practice it," Naruto said with a shrug. "Kurenai's Semblance allows her to influence the minds of others, like an illusion, to trick you into thinking something your seeing and or doing is real. She has it nearly mastered to the point where she can use her Semblance on nearly a hundred people at once."

"...That's some real evil mastermind stuff there." Yang mused with a small shiver. She was glad that Kurenai wasn't a villain. That would be scary. Though, now she was slightly curious about what else Kurenai could do. And what she did when she was alone with Asuma.

Naruto, unaware of Yang's growing imagination, nodded in agreement. "Yep, we should be lucky that she's a Huntress and not a madman, er, madwoman out to conquer the world in one giant illusion in order to feed everyone to a plant."

Yang gave her boyfriend a dry stare. "That's the dumbest evil plan I've ever heard of. And I've heard Ruby's 'evil' plans to take over the world with endless cookies."

"It came to me in a dream." Naruto grinned when Yang snickered.

"I see what you did there. Clever."

"Thank you."

"I still think I had it handled. She was my teammate and I only had to give her a few pushes," Yang said firmly.

"...Yang, sometimes a simple talk isn't enough..." Naruto mumbled sadly. He looked up at the fractured moon above them as they stopped in the middle of the campus. "I've had my fair share of heart-to-heart moments with some friends, and some usually involved fists. Actually, I think all of them involved fists. Hm, not heart-to-hearts then, but I digress. Sometimes, sympathizing and understanding just...it's just not enough."

"What do you mean?" Yang asked curiously as she followed Naruto's gaze to stare at the moon.

"Nothing, never mind. It's just something I've not really gotten over." Naruto sighed and looked at the ground. He started to walk away again. "Let's go, I'm sure Kurenai and Asuma want to know if the plan worked."

"Does it have something to do with the Fourth War?" Yang asked carefully and frowned when Naruto stopped mid step. The Fourth War was a sour point for all members of Team NHKS. It was a surefire way to make the four boys stop any conversation.

Sasuke hated them and would turn into a Broody Bill after the terrorist cell was brought up.

Kurama outright loathed them and would begin to rant about how he would end them and anyone like them with violent and graphic detail.

Haku had shown himself to dislike the mentioning of it and would force the one that brought them up to change the subject with his intense and disturbing stare.

However, Naruto never gave a specific emotion. He always just sort of...shut down, or rather, rebooted after a minute or two. Then he'd ignore their acknowledgement or just say that he'd put a stop to them, and that would be it. While Yang wasn't sure what Sasuke or Haku's deal with the Fourth War was – Kurama's was simple enough, since he was a Faunus and the group was very much as Anti-Faunus one could get – she was sure that Naruto had lost too much to them to put any more effort into hating. He'd always fiddled with his parents' wedding bands whenever he was distressed, either over something mundane like a test or worrisome like the Fourth War.

It was worrying for Yang to see his hand lift up and grab the items after she'd asked him such a question.

"Yeah..." Naruto finally answered. He looked at Yang with a sad smile. "They were part of it."

"You don't have to tell me," Yang said as she joined his side and carefully guided his hand away from the rings.

"I know. But I want to." Naruto sighed. He looked back up at the moon as Yang's hand intertwined with his. Naruto stared up at the moon while Yang kept her eyes on him as he spoke. "His name was Gaara of Vacuo...and he was the first person that I ever killed."

* * *

 **AN: Let's see how y'all feel about that!**

 **REVEALISH!**


	17. Purpose

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XVII: Purpose**

* * *

"K-Killed?" Yang asked. Naruto looked down from the moon to meet her wide-eyed gaze, his blue eyes filled with regret and sadness.

"Not everyone can be saved." Naruto repeated as he looked back at the moon. "Not everyone wants to be helped. You have to understand, Yang. I didn't go out of my way to kill him! He had to be stopped, but words ...they just couldn't cut it."

With his eyes squeezed shut, Naruto broke his hand away from Yang's, which was still stuck on his first statement – the admission of killing another. It was understandable, not many knew of Naruto's greatest shame outside of those high in the food chain. He went to a nearby bench to sit down and recompose himself. His gaze went back to the moon, so peaceful, but broken. How it broke and why were questions science had yet to answer, mysteries that may forever remain unsolved. It was soothing and reminded Naruto of life in general: Sometimes you're fine, sometimes there's pain that'll go away, and sometimes there's constant pain.

The bench creaked lightly as Yang sat down next to him. "What was he like?"

"Gaara?" Naruto let out a bitter laugh. "He was _crazy_. Something wasn't right in his head. He _needed_ help, but refused it at every turn. Every chance he had to heal, he spat on. Poor guy was deluded by a belief he developed while he was 'raised' by the Fourth War."

"They _raised_ him?" Yang asked incredulously.

Naruto looked at her. "Raised is being generous...They corrupted him, pushed him far beyond the limit, tried to hone his Semblance into a weapon to use against Faunus and Faunus-lovers. In the process, he stopped thinking of himself as Human...and called himself a monster."

"That's horrible." Yang clenched her hands into fists. "They twisted a kid so far that he broke...What the hell is wrong with them?"

"Hate." Naruto mumbled softly as he held his parents rings up and looked at the diamond on his mother's ring. "They hate Faunus for being different, Hunters for being arrogant, Humans for being complacent...The Fourth War is comprised of people who are poisoned by hate. Unfortunately, Gaara fell victim to this poison."

"So he hated everyone?" Yang asked lowly. "I don't see that as the reason you had to kill him."

"I didn't _have_ to kill him! I didn't even _want_ to kill him!" Naruto shot back firmly as his eyes glared into hers. The glare dropped when he noticed Yang's eyes weren't filled with accusations, but questions. Naruto looked away, ashamed at his anger and of his reaction.

"Gaara was alone, like Sasuke, like _me_...He was alone in the worst place possible." Naruto's words were soft and filled with heavy emotions. "He was born in the sands of Vacuo to a woman without a name. Something happened between then and the age of six, something that caused him to be brought up among the Fourth War. I never found out what it was. All I know was that he was alone in a world that refused to acknowledge him as a Human, so he followed suit and adapted. If he couldn't be a Human, and he certainly couldn't be a Faunus, then he would be a monster."

"...Tell me how you met him." Yang put a hand gently on his arm. "Please."

It wasn't a request, and it didn't have to be. Naruto stared at the diamond on his mother's wedding band and became lost in the reflected moonlight.

"When we're of a certain age, some students in Vacuo volunteer for a...a joint competition. The academies would switch between hosting every half-year. Sasuke and I were so _lucky_ that during our time to volunteer, it would be hosted at our home." Naruto paused for a moment as his eyes drifted shut. "I met Gaara a few days before the tournament after Sasuke and I stopped his assigned teammate from attacking a kid that ran into him. The second I met him, I could tell something was wrong with the guy."

* * *

 _A boy with pale skin, red hair and a large gourd on his back dropped down from the branch of a tree to land between a younger Naruto and a boy in a black suit with a large bundle on his back. Around his green eyes were thick dark rings and his clothes looked like they belonged to someone who'd wandered the desert for years, faded and brown. The boy turned and glared at the black suited boy._

 _"Shut up, Kankuro. Or I'll kill you." The boy, Gaara, spoke gravely with a rough voice. The lone girl of the group silenced the other boy, Kankuro, before he could speak again. Gaara had his arms crossed over his chest as he spoke to Naruto and Sasuke. "You two...Are strong. I await the day when I kill you both."_

* * *

"He really said that?" Yang asked, horrified.

"May the Wise Oum sour my ramen forever if I lie to you now." Naruto swore with a hand up. He had a serious frown on his face as he continued. "His tone and his teammate's reactions showed that he held no qualms about doing so."

"Yikes."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a prominent frown as he continued to look at his mother's ring. "Next time I saw Gaara was in the preliminary matches, which came after the first and second events and would lower the competition for the finals."

"Geez, this sounds like the Vytal Festival tournament," Yang said thoughtfully. "Only, less about harmony and more about bragging rights."

"That's what the point was," Naruto said somberly. "Vacuo's villages need funding and it's not an easy thing to come by. So our tournament is broadcasted to other Kingdoms and to the schools. My team and I are already counting down the days for the next one so that we can watch it."

"...So what happened in the preliminary fights?" Yang asked in an attempt to get away from any political talk. That stuff always bored her.

Naruto gave a light chuckle. "Well, after I beat one of my old friends in a fight with a fart –"

"Liar." Yang cut in with a smirk.

"Am not, look it up," Naruto said with his own grin. "That fight went viral, has nearly a million views. Sucks, too, because I got my ass kicked for most of it. But after I beat him I managed to witness an older student of Kon fight against Gaara. And Gaara's semblance was...scary."

"Define scary," Yang said with a small frown.

Naruto shivered and gained a haunted look in his eyes. "He could control sand. He used the sand to...crush people."

"...Oh god."

"Yeah. As much as an unstoppable monster he seemed to be, he lacked one valuable quality: speed," Naruto said. "His opponent in the preliminaries' last match, Rock Lee, had trained his body to move at speeds that can rival Ruby's Semblance."

Yang stared at him. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, yeah, I just said he did, right?"

"...Touché."

* * *

 _Rock Lee was a boy with a black bowl haircut and large black eyebrows panted as he stood across from Gaara, who had been beaten into the ground and the sand-like armor around his body had been cracked. Rock Lee wore a skintight green unitard with orange greaves on his legs, a red belt around his waist and white tape around his arms. He looked exhausted._

* * *

"Wait, he was dressed like Professor Guy?" Yang asked,

"Rock Lee was Guy's apprentice." Naruto chuckled lightly. "The next Beautiful Green Beast."

"... _That's_ a scary thought." Yang mumbled with a light shiver. She couldn't stare at Guy, he was just too...Guy-like to admire his build. And Yang never passed down a free show.

"That's an understatement." Naruto sighed and gave her a small look. "Look, Yang, this is hard for me to talk about, so...could you please stop interrupting me?"

"Sorry. Go on, Naruto. I'm listening."

* * *

 _The boy just used up the rest of his Aura in a final, life threatening move that he'd learned from Guy. He was technically unconscious on his feet, and it was a miracle that he was still alive. Gaara's sand shot out at the same time that Gaara extended his arm and encased the boy's right arm and leg. A loud crunch was heard and Rock Lee screamed as blood rushed from his limbs over the sand._ _Before Gaara could deal any more damage with his sand, Guy interfered with the match and Lee was declared the loser._

* * *

"Since Gaara still had Aura to spare and could continue fighting despite his beaten state, I doubt the outcome would've changed much, except maybe Lee could've died. Lee was rushed to the hospital and the preliminaries were called to a close. Then we got a month break to train and recuperate for the finals," Naruto said with a smile as he thought back to his training. "I got some help from my godfather and Sasuke got help from our favorite teacher, which he would need, since he was set to face off against Gaara first."

"What? Then how did-?"

"I'm getting there," Naruto said to his confused girlfriend. "Before the finals began, I ran into Gaara again. At the hospital."

"Was he injured?" Yang asked. "Or were you?"

"Neither," Naruto said with a chuckle. He rubbed his head. "Another one of my old friends was recovering from his preliminary fight so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and visit both him and Lee."

Naruto's smile fell from his face as he turned away from Yang and stared off into the distance once again. "Good thing I did, too, because Gaara was going to kill Lee."

* * *

 _"Hey, what the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Naruto demanded after he punched the redheaded boy hard in the face. He and another boy, Shikamaru, stood in Lee's hospital room doorway and glared at the redheaded boy. Gaara had been paralyzed by Shikamaru's semblance – dubbed Shadow Snare by the children – and Naruto capitalized on the act to save the unconscious older boy._

 _Gaara stared at Naruto impassively. "I'm going to kill him. Stay out of my way or I'll kill you, too."_

 _"Troublesome as it is, I can't just let you kill him," Shikamaru said with a grimace as he rubbed his cheek. His semblance allowed him to control his opponent's movements, but he also felt their pain. "Damn, Naruto, did you hit him hard enough?"_

 _Naruto ignored him and glared at Gaara. "Why would you kill him? Because he stomped you in your fight? That doesn't make any sense!"_

 _"Careful Naruto, he could be very petty. And with how dangerous he is, it would be troublesome to fight him."_

 _Gaara ignored Shikamaru and glared at Naruto. "I don't care about the fights. If I had lost, I would've died. I did not lose, I continue to exist, and therefore I must prove my existence."_

 _"Prove your...? Would you just make some goddamn sense!?" Naruto returned, frustrated with the amount of crazy that wafted off of this guy._

 _"What is existence? Existence is a the state of being in the living organism with a purpose, something even Grimm have. As a child, I had no purpose, therefore, I did not exist. To not exist is to be dead, not on this world. But I am here, so I needed purpose." Gaara's dead glare turned into a crazed grin. "I found a purpose when I was six, after a man who called himself Leader told me of a way to prove it! To kill all who threatened my existence, Faunus, Grimm or even Humans!"_

 _Naruto and Shikamaru could only stare at the boy in horror. The crazed redhead let out a dark chuckle before he groaned and put a hand to his head. Gaara took a moment to breathe before he returned to being the stoic maniac that they knew him to be._

 _"For if I cannot prove that I exist, then why am I alive? He wanted to kill me, but I realized then that I didn't want to die. I wanted to be alive, to prove that I had worth of living! It was on that day that I screamed at the world that_ I am alive, I will not die, but threats to my existence will! _I have been told that to protect something with your life is to mean you love it more than anything; in that case, I love myself and_ only _myself. Everything and everyone else on this planet, in this universe, can_ burn _so long as I continue to live. All threats to me must be extinguished. That is my purpose."_

 _"...What...What kind of purpose is that?" Shikamaru asked while Naruto trembled beside him. "You...You're nuts! Crazy!"_

* * *

"...I agree with Shikamaru now," Naruto said softly while Yang stared at him. Naruto's fist clenched tightly. "Gaara was sick, he needed help, and if I tried just a bit harder, maybe if I held back more and didn't let my anger get to me..." He paused and sighed. "Maybe if I accepted that we were the same then...I wouldn't have tried to be so distant from him."

"You're nothing like Gaara!" Yang quickly retorted. "You said it yourself, Gaara was sick!"

"He wasn't just sick, Yang, he was lonely," Naruto said softly. He rubbed his face tiredly. "I couldn't see it then, but there was a boy inside of him that wanted a friend. Not a caretaker or a parent, he wanted someone to acknowledge him, someone to confirm that he _was_ alive and had purpose." Naruto let out a bitter chuckle. "I wonder if a part of me didn't want to see it, didn't want to empathize with Gaara. Didn't want to make the same realization I did a few years ago."

"...And that was?" Yang asked.

"If I had never pestered Kurama, never started to prank others or made friends...I could've very well ended up like Gaara did," Naruto said gravely.

The revelation stunned Yang and the two blondes sat in silence beneath the moon for a few minutes. After those minutes were up, Yang's hand slipped around Naruto's and squeezed his hand. It was all that was needed, for the both of them.

Yang now realized how vastly different Naruto could've been had he not made friends at his young age, how different her life could be now. As strange as it sounded, Naruto was her best friend in Beacon, possibly the first best friend she really could understand. One that understood and accepted her for who she was beneath the mask.

What would her life be like without that friend, she wondered.

Realizing that her thoughts were treading into dangerous waters, Yang quickly decided to restart the conversation.

"So how did you two fight when he was supposed to fight Sasuke?"

"Oh, he fought Sasuke...But this was Sasuke before he'd become the loveable asshole we have today," Naruto said. He chuckled. "Little arrogant bastard...He's the one guy aside from Kurama who _really_ knows how to get on my nerves. Back then it was worse, we had a rivalry of sorts, so any one sentence could set us off. I digress...Sasuke fought against Gaara, but used a replicated attack based off of our teacher's Semblance. I guess that was his mistake."

"What was his mistake?"

"Sasuke was the first person to make Gaara bleed."

* * *

 _Sasuke, dressed in a high-collared black outfit with tape and an elbow pad up his right arm, quickly jumped away from the sphere of sand that he'd penetrated with his lightning-like attack. There was a pause and a confused hush spread across the audience. Naruto, from his place among the other competitors, cringed when an anguished yell escaped the hole._

 _"MY BLOOD! THAT'S_ MY _BLOOD! AHH! IT HURTS!"_

 _A warped mound of sand formed over the hole and shot out towards Sasuke. It changed itself into claw-like arm, with red blood coated along the sand. Sasuke retreated from the sand appendage and an explosion came from deeper into the village._

 _"IT'S THE FOURTH W-!" A sentry's yell was cut off as he was decapitated. People screamed and began to panic as more explosions filled the village. Sasuke was frozen and Naruto, for the first time in his life, felt true fear as sand encased his rival-slash-friend._

* * *

"Oh my god," Yang said softly. She winced as Naruto's hand tightened slightly around hers and shone gold as his semblance started to come to life. Her hair shone as her semblance kicked in to protect her and it built up alongside his as his grip continued to tighten.

"They attacked us while our guard was down...and Gaara was apart of it." Naruto growled lowly. His eyes squeezed shut as he fought some unsavory memories back into his subconscious.

"Naruto, please let go of my hand." Yang's voice broke Naruto from his silent rage. He quickly released her hand and sent her an apologetic look. She put her hand on his arm gently. "Are you alright?"

Naruto cracked a small smile. "I nearly broke your hand and you ask if I'm alright?"

"Hey, I just told you to let go, not that it was nearly broken," Yang said with her own small grin. She gave Naruto a light punch in the arm. "I'm tougher than most girls, Naruto."

"You don't have to remind me, Yang," Naruto said with a chuckle as he rubbed his arm. The small banter had gotten him to calm down and they fell back into a comfortable silence. The couple listened to the sounds of Beacon's calm night for a few minutes before Naruto spoke again.

"Gaara and I...We didn't have some grand battle, or some magical epic fight like out of The Four Stars or Justice Brigade or anything special like that," he said. "We didn't pause to have philosophical debates, or taunt each other, or cry out attacks. I didn't try and talk him out of it like a real hero would've. Ours was a fight of instinct, so I don't remember a lot of the details, but I remember the rush, the adrenaline coursing through my veins because of my fear and excitement. Other than that, the only thing I can remember clearly is how the fight ended. Gaara had me trapped in a cocoon of sand..."

* * *

 _Naruto struggled against the sand as it slowly constricted around his limbs. His semblance, as much as he could muster, flickered pitifully and illuminated the darkness of his current prison. He could see the sand slither around his arms and felt it constrict around his windpipe. Naruto's eyes went wide as he realized that this very well could be where he died._

 _There was to be no mourning parade, no monuments in his honor, and no spinning newspapers that would reveal it all with a flashy large headline that read: The Great Naruto Uzumaki Dead!_

 _Just one second, one good squeeze, and Naruto was going to end up like a used ketchup packet._

 _..._

 _To Hell with that shit!_

 _Naruto swore to the people of his village, of his home, that he would be the best damn Hunter on the planet. He couldn't do that if he was dead, and some freak with raccoon eyes – no offense to any bandit-like Faunus meant – was not going to stop him! Not now! Not when he was on a hot streak!_

 _Naruto's body exploded with aura when the sand sharply constricted around him in an effort to kill him. The binds around his limbs failed to snap them and Naruto's airway remained intact. In fact, it started to feel easier to breathe. Naruto couldn't understand it at the time, but his body was exerting so much aura, that it was_ overpowering _Gaara's semblance. The miniscule amount of Gaara's aura within each grain of sand could not withstand the waves of Naruto's aura that were sent against them. The cocoon was being forced to open, and Naruto Uzumaki was going to live!_

 _Naruto was mad – No, he was_ furious _. He wanted it to stop. Between Gaara's attacks on not only himself, but also his friends and the Fourth War's attack on_ his _village, Naruto's patience had worn thin._

 _The twelve-year-old boy exploded from the cocoon and rushed at the monstrosity that Gaara had become with his sand – In hindsight, Gaara's monster form was hilarious; he looked like an obese raccoon-dog or something with a little Gaara zit at the top of the head. Despite the ridiculous appearance, Naruto scaled the massive form in record time and ran at the awestruck redhead. He jumped at his target and primed his arm for a punch, but sand caught his limbs once more before Naruto's fist could collide with Gaara's face. Inches from satisfaction, typical._

 _"No! My existence...will not end!" Gaara snarled at him. Naruto scowled and struggled with his binds. He reared his head back while he tried to free his limbs. More sand started to rise up and encase his form once more._

 _Naruto refused to lose here, he was not going to let this-this psychopathic punk kill him or any of his friends. He wasn't going to let anyone else die!_

 _Doing the only thing he could, Naruto flung his head forward. Their foreheads collided, but not even Gaara's sand armor could withstand the density that Naruto's semblance had given the blond. Gaara's skull cracked like an egg on the concrete and blood rushed out of the wound. Naruto, while having a splitting headache from the impromptu attack, was not as damaged._

 _The two boys fell to the ground and the fight ended. One was stunned into a state between conscious and unconscious while he lay on his back. The other tried to cradle his throbbing head and get to his feet at the same time with little success. Both were unaware that the former's injury caused an internal bleeding that would hemorrhage in his brain._

* * *

"...Gaara died five days later while imprisoned in Kon's jail." Naruto finished the story of the boy whose early life mirrored his own. "He was buried in an unmarked grave along with the other dead Fourth War members."

"...He didn't deserve that." Yang frowned. As far as she could see, Gaara was as much a victim as he was a monster. Yes, his past had resulted in him becoming what he was, but he still _chose_ to believe in the way that he did. However, to be buried in an unmarked grave, to be forgotten after going so far to ensure that he would not be forgotten...She felt that it was too cruel a burial for a misguided killer.

"He didn't." Naruto nodded in agreement. "Which is why a few months later, I made a grave for Gaara in the middle of Vacuo's desert while I was on a...training excursion of sorts."

Yang arched a brow. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Not really...it's a family thing," Naruto said as he glanced down at his parents rings. He looked back at his girlfriend and gave her a light smile. "Any other questions?"

"...Why do you blame yourself? It was an accident, wasn't it?" Yang asked.

"An accident means that it could have been prevented. My godfather hypothesized that because I hadn't been able to control my output of my semblance, the result possibly would've ended the same either way, so I had to work on my control." Naruto explained. He lifted his right hand up and stared at his palm before he crushed it into a fist. "The day he told me that, I promised myself I would not lose control of my semblance, of _myself_ , ever again. I swore that I would never go that far. I killed Gaara, not intentionally, but it was still my fault. Could doctors have saved him? Possibly, but with so much more pressing injured on our side, and the loss of one of Kon's primary elders, no one gave him a second thought."

"You did." Yang placed a hand atop Naruto's clenched fist and smiled at him. "You are a good person, Naruto. Most people would chalk Gaara's death up to an accident and leave it as such, blame it as bad karma that was bound to get him for his past deeds or label it as justice. You instead chose to regret your part in Gaara's death and grieve for him, despite him being your enemy. The fact that you _care_ , I think that would've caused Gaara to forgive you if he could."

"...Maybe," Naruto said as he looked at her hand over his and gently smiled. "I like to think in another life we could've been good friends."

"I don't doubt it," Yang said as she leaned against Naruto while lowering his hand. She pressed her lips against Naruto's gently when his head turned so that he could look at her. When they parted, Yang grinned at Naruto's confused face.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"For being you." Yang rested her head on Naruto's shoulder and closed her eyes, her smile still in place. "You know something, I think I could really get used to this."

"What? Sitting on a bench late at night and listening to a good looking guy reveal his deepest and darkest secrets to you?" Naruto asked as he looked down at her with amusement glistening in his eyes. His left arm moved to drape over her shoulders and his gaze went down to his right hand in her grasp.

"That's not an unappealing thought." Yang joked back with a small smirk. When her lilac eyes opened and stared into his two ocean-like blue orbs, the smirk dwindled into a content smile. "But I was talking about _us_."

Naruto smiled back at her and once more intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Us...It has a really nice ring to it. Catchy, even." His musing made her laugh.

"My thoughts exactly." Yang let her eyes drift close once more and relaxed on the bench with her boyfriend. "...Can we go talk to Asuma and Kurenai tomorrow?"

"Ah, crap, I forgot that we were supposed to do that." Naruto groaned. "We really should just bite the bullet and get it over with."

"But I'm _comfy_!" Yang whined.

"Yeah, and Kurenai's probably wondering how scarred Blake is from my psychological attack." Naruto sighed as he nudged his displeased girlfriend. "Not to mention curfew is in a bit. You know how that whole song and dance goes."

"Ugh, so not fair." Yang mumbled as she regretfully rose from her seat with Naruto doing the same.

"I know, but we can chill some more tomo-er, the day aft-...After class on Monday?" Naruto weakly suggested as he remembered that his team needed one day to prepare the music and the day after was for the dance. That left after class as the only real free time they had.

"Fine." Yang mumbled sourly. She crossed her arms under her bust and let Naruto move his arm from over her shoulders to rest around her waist. "But I want at _least_ an hour of tranquility without any petting or kissing."

"I don't know if I'll be able to hold out for Xiao-Long." Naruto grinned.

Yang elbowed Naruto with a snort. "That was so bad, I think you just made _your_ ancestors roll over in their graves."

"Sue me, I'm a little emotionally and mentally exhausted. Let's just go chat with Asuma so we can call it a night."

"Now that I can agree with."

* * *

 **AN: Wow, this one took a bit to work out. First, I was blindsided by my Naruto/Marvel/RWBY fic idea. Had to flesh that one out. Had to come to terms with killing off one of my favorite Naruto characters. Had to work for a week and a half with insane stupid hours** _ **and**_ **juggle my classes.**

 **But now comes to the reasoning as to why I chose Gaara: Without Haku and Zabuza's deaths to help Naruto come to terms with the dark side of the Shinobi lifestyle, Naruto wouldn't learn or grow into the hero that he is supposed to be. Thus, I had to make another early enemy-turned-ally perish and unfortunately, that had to be Gaara.**

 **So there's my reasoning. Naruto needed to witness, experience or cause a death to develop into the hero we all know and love. This chapter marks another small turn from the humor genre, but we'll get back to that in the next one.**

 **After all, Sasuke and Haku still need a date, and Jaune's got to make a bet with** _ **somebody**_ **.**

 **So anyway, you know the drill!**

 **REPOKSTY!**


	18. Rivals

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XVIII: Rivals**

* * *

"So, who would like to explain this to me?" Asuma's dark eyes roamed over the four boys with an intimidating look that told them he was not in the mood for any games. To be quite frank, he really wasn't. He and Kurenai had been enjoying a lovely lunch outing when his scroll had rung and Ozpin requested he find the team he was charged with overseeing. Asuma was already annoyed with being interrupted, and learning that the interruption was due to his charges' rowdy behaviors did little to help his rising temper.

He'd walked into the sound room that Team NHKS had claimed for the morning and found, what could only be described as, a catastrophe that would cost at least fifty thousand lien to fix the room alone. Not counting the instruments or hardware, which had been put to (admittedly) creative use by the four boys.

Haku's head and upper torso had ripped through the drumhead of a snare, his arms bound to his body by the instrument's material. A guitar of some sort had been imbedded in the wall neck first beside a certain ginger's head and the keyboard in the room was shoved against the sole Faunus' stomach, so as to keep Kurama pinned to the wall. Naruto had another guitar smashed over his head and dangled from his neck while his hands had wrapped around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke, likewise, had his hands on the guitar around Naruto's neck, with black arcs of aura running up the strings.

The two had stopped once Asuma had opened the door and shot to their feet, accusing one another with fingers aimed at their respective opponent.

"This duck-haired bastard-!" "That whiskered dumbass-!"

Asuma's hands shot out and clamped over Naruto and Sasuke's mouths. The two teens grabbed at the hands over their faces, struggled and muffled grunts escaped the small cracks between Asuma's palms and their skin. The experienced Huntsman turned his gaze to the two other boys under his watch.

"Let's try one more time. Without yelling or insults." Asuma looked pointedly at Haku.

"We'd managed to practice for three hours before it all happened," Haku said. He sat down on one of the knocked over speakers, seemingly resigned to his fate of being trapped by the snare drum, and hung his head. "Then, during the five minute break, Kurama–"

"I didn't start this! Don't you dare blame this on me, Yuki-!" The air around Kurama's head became thin and the Faunus found it slightly difficult to breathe. He looked over at Asuma, who had narrowed eyes locked on the foxlike teen's form.

"Do not interrupt." Asuma growled, and Kurama nodded frantically. He released the invisible bubble he had formed around Kurama's head and the Faunus gasped as he swallowed the air that was slightly deprived of him. Dark eyes turned back to Haku expectantly and the boy gulped. Asuma fought back the smirk that threatened to form on his face when he heard the audible admission of fear. And it wasn't without good reason, no one wanted to suffocate or drown, aside from disease, blood loss or poison, those were the slowest deaths possible.

"W-Well, like I was saying, Kurama mentioned his date to the dance," Haku said. The light stutter at the beginning nearly broke Asuma's composure again, but the experienced hunter held strong. "Sasuke, Naruto and I teased him a little about getting a date, and eventually the teasing shifted to Sasuke, who hadn't yet found one despite his sudden rise in popularity, since Kurama released a certain photograph to the other students."

"Again, you're welcome," Kurama said with a smirk aimed at the black haired boy. Sasuke glared daggers at Kurama and black sparks danced across his hands.

"However," Haku said after he gave Kurama a pointed look. "Sasuke then turned the tables and made a jab at Naruto and Yang's late return the other night. Naruto responded accordingly with a retort concerning Sasuke's ex-girlfriend and this...is the, uh, part where you came in."

Asuma nodded and looked back at the two in his grasp. Naruto and Sasuke had once more started to glare at one another. Naruto's eyes flashed gold while his skin began to heat up and Sasuke's hands began to spark once more. The older Huntsman sighed and recalled a few similar, if not milder, instances that occurred between the two boys when they were enrolled in Kon Academy. They were like the Sun and the Moon, both worked together well, but there were times that they clashed.

It seems with all the stress of their current duties, along with a smidge of teenage hormones, the two began to fall into old and familiar habits.

"I suppose there's only one solution for this." Asuma sighed. Thankfully, Beacon had tons of funding that could easily fix and replace the damaged items within the room. Pricey, it would be, but in the long run it wasn't as damaging as, say, the incident that gave Team KAAG a good cover for watching over a few of Beacon's most promising.

Asuma forced Naruto and Sasuke to head-butt one another in order to break off their staring contest. He looked at the two in his grasp sternly once Sasuke shook off the daze that came from the blow and Naruto got over the mild irritation that came from the small pain he received, Asuma tightened his grip.

"I'm going to let you go, and you're going to go free Kurama and Haku from their predicaments. The four of you are going to _quietly_ follow me until I say otherwise. Am I understood?"

Naruto and Sasuke sent another quick glare at one another before they looked back at him and nodded.

"Good." Asuma released their mouths and put his hands on his hips. "Get to it."

* * *

"So that's what's happened, huh?" Kurenai said thoughtfully. She sent a reply to the message Asuma had sent her via scroll before she sent two more messages to Aoba and Guy. With her teammates informed of the situation, Kurenai decided to round her team up and join Asuma's group near Emerald Forest. It had been a while since she'd seen the two boys spar.

A small smile spread across her lips as she thought back to when the boys were young. Sasuke was the broody little boy that all the little girls had crushes on and Naruto was the orange clad troublemaker filled with what seemed like endless energy, especially when Kurama assisted him. The two boys were alone at the time, Sasuke's parents recently dead at his brother's hands and Naruto without his, which one would think would bring the two together. But no, they absolutely _hated_ each other. She was an assistant teacher then, something that helped her cement her dreams to be a teacher later in life, and managed to help stop their fights before they fell out of hand. Thankfully, the worst their childhood squabbles had ended with bruises or cut lips.

That is, until Sasuke was poisoned by one of Kon's former elites. Kurenai remembered that day clearly. Not even three weeks after the Vacuo Intermediate Tournament, the day Asuma lost his father and the village lost their beloved elder, Sasuke ran from Kon. Naruto pursued him and, upon catching up with the boy he called his rival, fell into another fight. This time, however, they had their aura accessible to them and their Semblances had been somewhat trained.

Kurenai didn't know how the fight went, but she knew that Naruto had come out the victor. The then twelve year old dragged the battered and bruised Sasuke back through the village gates with dried blood, infected cuts, and what looked like a bad burn on the left side of his chest. Aoba was stationed at the gate that day, and his words still chilled Kurenai to the bone.

" _Those two boys are either going to be the best heroes this world has ever seen...or the worst villains to walk this planet."_

Granted, Aoba was a bit over-imaginative sometimes, but still, Kurenai was not and still had not been made privy as to what caused the damage. Oh, the official statement was that they were attacked on the way back by a pack of Beowolves, but Kurenai knew the village leader was using that as a way to conceal something. Frankly, Kurenai wanted to know what it was so she could help assess the boys' mental states, which had always been in question prior to their acceptance to Beacon.

For god's sake, Naruto had accidentally killed someone and Sasuke, until after he and Naruto fought, had been swearing to his grave he'd find his older brother and killed him. Neither saw the village psychiatrist and Kakashi, their original teacher, kept his mouth shut firmly over what he considered to be 'his team's business. It was the one time Kurenai truly wished to punch the smug smut-reading bastard right in his face. Honestly, all that man did in his free time was walk around the village with his nose buried in his orange-edition of _Ninja's In Love_!

Kurenai will never know how he became the–

"Kurenai! Kurenai!"

The red-eyed woman was torn from her thoughts when the girls she was on the way to pick up ran around the corner and slid to a stop in front of her, all dressed in their casual gear due to it being the weekend. Yang and Ruby had wide eyes and had bright smiles on their faces while Weiss seemed a bit upset and Blake looked indifferent, but had a small gleam of intrigue in her amber eyes. Kurenai supposed that the indifference and intrigue was better than the obsessed exhaustion that the Faunus used to have about her.

Yang's talk and Naruto's ridiculous idea did some good it seemed.

"Hello girls, I was just on my way to pick you up," Kurenai said with another smile. Best not to trouble them with her thoughts after all. "Asuma has something-"

"Uchiha and Uzumaki are going to fight. There, we told her, can we get back to the ballroom, please?" Weiss asked with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. Ruby sent her partner a small pout.

"We've been in the ballroom since breakfast!" the red-hooded girl whined. "Besides, think of it as getting ready for the tournament! Team NHKS is going to be one of the hardest competitors, and we _know_ what they can do!"

"Please, any strategy you can come up with will be akin to a general's compared to Uzumaki's strategies," Weiss said, her arms still crossed over her chest while she sent her team leader a small frown. Yang gained a small secretive smirk at Weiss' words, but kept her thoughts to herself.

Kurenai furrowed her brows.

"Wait a minute, how did you find out about the spar?" She asked the four. Ruby nudged her sister, who pulled her scroll out from her jacket pocket.

"We got this mass message from Coco a few minutes ago," Yang said as she offered the technological device to the older woman. Amused lilac eyes turned to Ruby and a smile grew on Yang's face. "Well, Weiss, Blake and I did. Rubes here forgot her scroll in her room."

"It was breakfast time. I was more concerned about food than what I had with me," Ruby said sheepishly. She sent another pout at her white-haired partner. "Plus, Weiss kept us in the dumb ballroom after we ate so I couldn't go get it..."

"I needed your help with decorating, Ruby," Weiss said pointedly before she looked back at the Huntress assigned to be their 'mother hen'.

Once she finished reading the message, Kurenai pinched the bridge of her nose and gave Yang her scroll back.

"I'm going to kill Aoba." She mumbled. With a heavy sigh, Kurenai lowered her hand and made an about turn. "Come on, let's go before the whole area gets crowded."

* * *

Asuma glared at Aoba. He had only wanted his team and their respective charges to witness the two teammates' spar, hopefully to knock down the boys' egos as well as to let them vent without having to be worried about holding back too much. Exertion was a great stress reliever, after all.

Now, though, there was a massive assembly of teens from the visiting schools. Asuma definitely had to tell Ozpin and the hardass that was General Ironwood about the, by Vale's legal terms anyway, sanctioned 'underground' fight he was going to have the boys do. Both men initially objected to the fight, but Asuma convinced them after ten minutes of heated argument. However, he had to allow them to set the perimeter, not let it reign throughout the whole forest like Asuma wished.

(Let it be known that while Asuma does enforce the laws of the kingdoms he is in, he usually finds most outrageously stupid or overly complicated to the point of uselessness. He was from Vacuo and that was what most thought of the other kingdoms' ridiculous regulations.)

"This is all on _your_ head." Asuma informed the sunglasses-wearing man. He pointed a finger at Aoba and his eyes narrowed. "If any one of those kids tries to interfere and gets hurt, I'm blaming you."

"I understand. I still protest, though. Giving them _those_ rules to abide by–"

"I know what I'm doing, Aoba. You watch your kids, don't let them watch you," Asuma said firmly as he turned back to the large one hundred and ten foot wide circle that the crowd had formed. He walked over to one side, standing to Kurenai's right near her team and opposite of the scarily serious Guy and Aoba, who had Teams JNPR and CFVY close to them. Asuma looked to his left, where Kurama stood with his arms crossed and his gaze focused on the two teens that stood twenty feet from each other. Haku was on Kurama's left, his gaze just as serious as Guy and Aoba's. In Haku's hands were Naruto's gauntlets, the Storm Breakers, and at his hip was Sasuke's sword, Amaterasu.

Asuma looked back at the two fighters and lifted a hand, calling for silence. It came quickly for a large group of teens, but once it had, the experienced Huntsman stepped forward, his hand still raised.

"The rules for this spar are simple: No excessive use of Aura and no weapons allowed. The fight will end when either one can no longer stand, surrenders or when _I_ say so. Do you understand?"

"Just give us the go ahead already! I need to rip this smug bastard a new asshole," Naruto said with a scowl.

"You won't even be able to leave a scratch on my face, dumbass," Sasuke said with a small sneer as he tapped his thumb against his forehead.

"First make the _Tairitsu no In_ (Seal of Confrontation)." Asuma's order was met with confused whispers from the crowd, save for his team as well as Haku and Kurama.

Naruto and Sasuke kept their heated glares locked as they lifted opposite hands, Naruto's right and Sasuke's left. Their index and middle fingers remained raised while the ring and pinky curled inward, the thumb folded over them. The sight brought a small smile to Asuma's face before he hardened his gaze and brought his hand down.

"Begin!"

Sasuke moved first, being the faster of the two. An underhanded punch came from the left, striking Naruto in the stomach. His eyes narrowed, Sasuke followed with another blow. His hand balled tightly and became a solid fist, a haymaker that hit its mark in Naruto's right side.

Naruto stumbled back with a cringe on his face as his arm instinctively went to cover his side. No excessive aura meant he was not allowed to enhance his already impressive durability, but Sasuke could. And had. That blow fractured a rib, Naruto was sure of it.

Well, retaliation was needed.

From his coiled position initially meant to defend his side, Naruto launched himself at Sasuke. His initial punch flew over Sasuke's head when the raven-haired teen ducked to the side, but the follow through elbow improvisation nailed the smug prick right in the jaw. Sasuke was knocked to the ground from the blow, but quickly got back to his feet.

"Not bad..." Sasuke's compliment was soft and he rubbed his bruising skin with his hand. His onyx eyes didn't leave the cerulean blues that glared back at him. A smirk spread across Sasuke's face. "Felt worse, though."

Naruto grit his teeth, but kept from lashing out. Like many with Semblances that created, embodied, resembled or used fire, Naruto's greatest weakness is his temper. As a boy with no parents and really no authority figure to keep him in check, Naruto succumbed to his anger a lot more often than he'd like to admit. Sasuke knew this, they had been rivals since childhood after all, and exploited it constantly. That knowledge alone was enough to make Naruto's blood boil.

"Oh, going with the silent treatment again? You haven't done this for a few years," Sasuke said thoughtfully. He let his left foot slide behind his right, his left arm fold behind his back and turned to the side. Sasuke held his right hand out and beckoned Naruto. "I will admit this is probably even more annoying than your consistent chatter. That I can tune out, but this, I have to wonder...what exactly are you thinking about right now?"

"...Your mother."

Sasuke's amusement fell and his eyes narrowed. The crowd let out a loud chorused gasp and someone in the back yelled 'aw, snap! It's on now!'

Naruto smirked. Like he said, he and Sasuke had been rivals since childhood. They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses far better than anyone else could ever hope to. Granted, back then Naruto would be the first to succumb to his emotions before Sasuke, however now that he's matured slightly and learned from possibly the man who was the master of antagonizing his enemies, Naruto knew when to react and when to think.

"You're _dead_ , Dead-Last."

"Bring it, Duck-Butt."

The two charged at each other and fists flew. Some blows struck, some were blocked, and others were countered.

Sasuke's strikes were fast and effective, calculated and empowered by his fury. Perhaps, also, a tiny bit of aura, mostly fury, though. Mostly.

Naruto's blows were heavy and wild, aimed to hit once and cripple a joint or muscle. Mild anger swelled through his blood. The anger at Sasuke's attitude, his comments made earlier in the day, that had dwindled slightly. It was still there, but it didn't control him. Much.

Naruto missed a wide swing aimed to at least give Sasuke a black eye or broken nose, or at most give him a concussion. Sasuke used the miss to his advantage, he dropped low and swept his leg across the ground. Naruto instinctively jumped to avoid it and then cursed once he realized what had happened.

The initial launch that he had used against that White Fang Lieutenant on the docks was not an Uzumaki original, but a modified variant of a kick used by Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto just fell into the same trap he managed to avoid time and time again, and even duplicate at some point.

Realizing his blunder, Naruto's arms shot up to cross over his face just as Sasuke's foot shot up. The sandal smacked into Naruto's arms, and the whiskered blond flew up.

* * *

"Wow, look at him go." Mercury had a mildly impressed smirk on his face as the whiskered blond rocketed into the clouds. He whistled lightly when the stoic raven-haired teen launched up after him from the ground. "Don't see that every day."

"No, you most certainly do not," Cinder said with a pensive frown on her face. Her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed. The clouds began to darken overhead and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance. Cinder turned her gaze to the mint-haired girl, her red eyes locked on the spot the two boys had disappeared into.

"Emerald, why did you not tell me of their semblances?" she asked lowly. Emerald didn't tear her eyes away from the dark sky, her frown prominent.

"How can I tell you what I don't know? We used to date, not spar."

Cinder clicked her tongue in annoyance with the useless retort. She knew of the blond's Semblance from Roman's report on the failed shipyard heist, a strength boost unlike which has never been seen before, but the teammate's were unknown. Now, Cinder had figured it to be speed, based on his movements, but then there was a flash of light and a crack of lightning. She saw the silhouettes of the boys in the clouds, the blond was still covering his face and the raven-haired had a leg extended. It would seem that lightning was his Semblance.

* * *

"W-where did they go?" Weiss asked quietly, her eyes glued to the dark sky.

"Up." Yang frowned and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Come on, Naruto, kick his ass!"

"Is now really the time for that?" Blake asked. She could see where Yang would want to cheer her boyfriend on, but it seemed obvious to her that Sasuke had a larger advantage. Naruto was a tank, sure, but he was limited here. Sasuke's Semblance was much more versatile under these rules and he needed only a slight bit of aura.

"You wouldn't cheer Sun on if he was fighting Neptune?" Yang asked.

"Sun and Neptune don't seem like the type of friends who make death threats with one another," Blake said dryly.

"Says you. You and Sun haven't been on a date yet, so what do you _really_ know about him?"

"We've...I...Shut up, Yang." Blake decided to return her attention to the fight lest she incriminated herself. If Yang found out about the tea Blake and Sun shared, the teasing would be merciless. Blake would die long before Yang learned of it through her.

* * *

"Take a hint from the best, Deadlast!" Sasuke snarled as his right leg rose up. "When you fall down...!"

The axe kick made its mark on Naruto's crossed arms and the blond teen broke through the darkened clouds in a rapid descent. He hit the dirt with a loud bang and made a small crater, even by his normal standards. A cloud of dust covered the area after Naruto's impact and Sasuke landed with a grunt on the edge. The black haired teen peered down at Naruto with a small sneer.

"Stay down."

"...Can't tell me what to do..." Naruto mumbled into the dirt. He planted his hands on either side of his body and began to push himself up.

"Friggin smartass."

"I'd rather be a smartass than a dumbass," Naruto said groggily. He turned to face Sasuke and was met by a sandaled boot to the head. Naruto fell once more to his hands and knees. Immense pain filled his mouth along with a familiar metallic taste. Naruto's eyes flashed and he looked over his shoulder at Sasuke. The raven-haired teen's smug grin fell when Naruto spat out a reddened tooth.

* * *

"Oh. Crap." Asuma grimaced. The Beacon students near him, save for an equally grimacing Kurama, gave him quizzical looks. Feeling the many eyes fall on the older man, Asuma sighed.

"Naruto takes pride in four things: His skills as a Huntsman, his noodles, his ability to pull off wearing the color orange, and his smile. Apparently, his grin was the one thing he inherited from both of his parents," the smoker said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag and exhaled while the whiskered blond got to his feet. "I doubt that I need to tell you how important that is to him."

"They're going to break the limited Aura rule," Kurama said knowingly. Asuma nodded in agreement.

"Yes they are."

"Are you going to intervene?" Kurenai asked. Asuma shook his head in the negative.

"Not unless I absolutely have to."

"Smart call." Kurama nodded. Asuma grinned lightly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The Old Man didn't raise a fool, just a rebel."

* * *

Naruto said nothing as he got to his feet and wiped the blood away from the corner of his mouth. He calmly climbed out of the crater that he'd created, and stood to Sasuke's immediate left.

"...Would it help a little if I said I was sorry?"

Naruto shook his head.

"...Fair enough." Sasuke brought his arm up over his shoulder and moved to deliver a fast chop to the back of Naruto's neck.

Naruto tilted out of the way so that the edge of Sasuke's fingernails barely scraped his skin. The blond dropped to his hands and thrust his feet into Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke was launched a good distance away where he landed tumbling backwards head over heels.

Sasuke groaned as he started to rise. One of his onyx eyes cracked open locked with Naruto's cerulean blue. Their gaze held for another minute before Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red crystal that he popped into his mouth.

* * *

"Did he just eat a Fire Dust crystal?" Neptune asked with narrowed eyes.

"...What's his name again, Sun?" A redheaded teenage boy asked with a glance aimed at the Faunus member of the Mistral team.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sun said. His grin was small, but his gaze was focused on the fight. Particularly focused on his friend, who had tensed immediately once he recognized what Sasuke had done. The sage-haired teen to Sun's right lost some color to his darker skin.

"Uchiha? Like...As in, The Grimm Master, Uchiha?" he asked.

"Yep." Sun nodded.

"...The same guy that turned a pack of Ursai loose on his team before he drove his father insane?" Neptune asked, his eyes wide.

"The very one."

"Oh. Wonderful." Neptune leaned over to the redhead beside him. "Scarlet, remind me to stay _away_ from Team NHKS during the tournament."

"Only if you do the same for me," Scarlet said with a small grimace. His eyes bulged out of their sockets when Sasuke's chest expanded and his head reared back. "What–?"

* * *

"The Heck!?" Weiss' light-blue eyes were just as wide as the eyes of all those around her when Sasuke's chest expanded in an absurd manner.

"I-Is that supposed to happen when you use Dust?" Ruby asked.

"Nope." Kurama answered in Weiss' stead. "You're about to see one of two people who have nearly mastered the use of edible Fire Dust crystals in battle. Watch carefully."

* * *

Sasuke flung his head forward and held his right hand up to his mouth, the index and thumb a centimeter apart. A massive ball of fire expelled out of Sasuke's mouth as his chest deflated. The fireball, easily the size of Yatsuhashi, flew at Naruto rapidly and burnt the grass beneath it without making contact. Its target did nothing to move out of the way, but he did bring his arms back and extend his hands.

* * *

Kurenai's eyes went wide and she turned to her fiancé worriedly.

"Asuma-!"

"I know. He's going to use the Toad's Thunderclap," Asuma said firmly. He cupped his hands over his mouth. "GUY! AOBA! THUNDERCLAP!"

The two men seemed to pale at his announcement. Kurama and the four adults covered their ears with their hands and dropped to the ground like they were preparing for a tornado. The sight of the four experienced Huntsmen and Huntress crouching down and clapping their hands over their ears was enough to make the large audience of teenage students do the same. Eyes stayed locked on the fight, even if they couldn't hear anything.

"This is going to suck so bad." Haku overheard Kurama mumble.

* * *

Naruto's arms, shoulders and chest tightened for a brief moment before, like a coiled spring being released, he relaxed the tension and brought his hands together. Instead of the usual clap of skin colliding with skin, there was a massive boom and the force of Naruto's aptly named Thunderclap released a huge gust of wind that expelled from his hands outwards. The gust washed over the crowd and knocked over a few who were unprepared for the force of the winds.

Sasuke's fireball was extinguished almost a half-second before it could reach Naruto, but that didn't deter the raven-haired teen in the slightest.

While their audience recuperated from the Thunderclap, Sasuke charged at Naruto despite the ringing in his ears. Onyx eyes narrowed as another red crystal was pulled from his pocket and popped into his mouth.

 _Didn't think he'd have learned_ that _from his godfather._ Sasuke thought bitterly as he chewed the crystal and mixed his aura with it. _Well, if quality won't stop him, maybe quantity will._

Sasuke inhaled through his nose and exhaled small fireballs from his mouth. The projectiles were evaded by his opponent, who began to back away from Sasuke despite the obvious advantage he had in close quarters combat.

 _What is he doing now?_ Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly and stopped his pursuit, but continued his rapid-fire assault. His rival was stupidly smart when in battle, and the last thing Sasuke could afford would be one of Naruto's infamous on-the-fly strategies. Sasuke fired his last fireball and took in his surroundings with his peripheral vision.

 _No traps, no reason for me to be lured. I haven't had my eyes off of him at all except for when I tried to crisp him a second ago...Oh, Hell, he didn't-!_

Sasuke looked up to the cleared _cloudless_ sky, wincing when his eyes made contact with the bright sun. He looked back to the last place he saw Naruto and scowled when he noted that there was no whiskered blond to be seen.

"Shit." Sasuke cursed under his breath. _He made me paranoid. Goddammit. Where is he? Where is he? He's not below, in front, on either side or behind me...so that leaves..._

"Above!" Sasuke looked up again and narrowly jumped away from the two descending feet belonging to his opponent. A glowing Naruto had a mad grin on his face as he landed in the ground. The force of his landing made the ground crack and cave in for a good thirty feet in diameter.

"Damn, and I was sure that the Food Cart Destroyer would've done the job," Naruto said.

"Maybe if we were still young, but you used that on me the last time we fought." Sasuke said. He smirked and landed outside of the impact zone Naruto had made. Sasuke held his left hand around his right wrist as black lightning began to crackle at the tips of his fingers.

"I think they're almost recovered from your attempt to cheat and win, Deadlast." He informed his rival.

Naruto's grin widened and he held his right hand out in front of him with the right over it. A golden sphere began to form in Naruto's palm and his left hand began to move erratically to keep the shape.

"Then let's end this like we usually do, Bastard." Naruto's skin lost its golden glow while the sphere remained over his palm. "Let's end it with a bang!"

* * *

"Is he...shaping his aura?" Pyrrha asked with a blink of her eyes.

"I believe so." Ren nodded.

"What?" Jaune exclaimed while he wiggled his finger around in his ear. He still couldn't hear a damn thing since Naruto clapped his hands.

"Such passion! It is the embodiment of their Flames of Youth!" Guy declared boisterously as tears poured down from his eyes and he held his fist in front of him. "They, too, are Eternal Rivals! To always match in battle when the feeling arises, to assist one another with foes they cannot alone defeat! Ooooohhhh! Now I feel a great need to challenge my hip and cool rival!"

"What?" Jaune asked while his teammates gave the man confused looks, save for Nora, whose attention was fixated on the fight.

"Guy, Kakashi doesn't have time to do any of your challenges. Not to mention that he's a whole Kingdom away," Aoba said dryly. He adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms over his chest while his teammate slumped to the ground in despair.

"Drat!" Guy exclaimed.

"What's Naruto doing?" Coco asked with a small frown.

"An advanced form of Aura manipulation," Aoba said. He held a finger up. "In fact, a specific form that was developed by Naruto's father. Only three people to this day can manipulate their aura in such a manner, and Naruto is one of them."

"I-It just looks like he's making a sphere around his fist," Velvet said. Fox shook his head.

"It's not just that." The normally quiet team member spoke softly, his voice suave and rough all at once from not being used. Fox's white eyes were focused on the fight. "That type of manipulation, making a shape out of Aura alone, requires focus and balance, things that novices in Aura manipulation can't easily do."

"Well said, Fox." Aoba nodded. "Even for those with Semblances that involve unique Aura manipulation, forming a simple shape out of pure Aura is difficult. This is why most Semblances exert control over something or physically condition the body for a short period of time."

"...I bet I could do it," Coco said thoughtfully. She nudged the auburn haired boy beside her. "And if not me, then our Foxy boy could."

Fox gave his team leader a bland look. This was why he usually kept quiet. Coco got lively whenever he spoke. With a final sigh, Fox returned his gaze to Coco's self-proclaimed little brother, a newfound form of intrigue in his eye.

* * *

"Fascinating," Cinder said under her breath. She'd heard of Aura Shaping being discovered and taught in Vacuo's 'hidden' schools, but that sort of expertise and skill was something she expected of the Toad Sage or the Snail Princess. To see a boy this young, two boys if you counted the sparking spear-like shape around Sasuke's hand, so adept in it was absolutely amazing.

And it was potentially a problem for her plan.

Cinder's eyes narrowed on the two boys. They needed to be dealt with. Soon.

* * *

"Ready, Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he stood across from his childhood friend and rival.

"You know it, Sasuke." Naruto returned with a grin on his face as the sphere in his hand began to sustain itself.

The two launched at each other with their right hands pulled back.

"It's-!"

They threw their hands forward, one chirped like a thousand bird and the other had an almost mystical sound to it.

" _Over_!"

The attacks collided and a dome of white light encased the two teens. The audience was forced to shield their eyes or look away, unless they had the forethought to wear sunglasses like a certain Faunus, who shook his head in bemusement. For the brief second that the rest of the audience was blinded, Kurama saw the two friends grin at one another and bump fists. Their fight was over, their anger to one another was diminished, and their friendship restored.

 _Man, those two are such drama queens_ , Kurama thought with a small chuckle.

When the light died down, the crowd was able to see both teens standing on their last legs.

Haku blinked and furrowed his brows together when he heard Kurama chuckle. He took in the state of his two other teammates and then let out his own small chuckle.

Sasuke was haggard and breathing hard, and Naruto had the smallest bit of sweat pouring down the side of his face. Both had lost their grins, but had their fists together still. Both refused to back away, even though their legs wobbled uneasily beneath them. Whoever moved first was going to fall, and they knew it.

Both were just too stubborn to lose, even at this point.

Asuma sighed after a moment.

"I guess that's that," he said. "This match is a draw!"

A majority of the audience let out boo's and groans of disappointment whereas a small few applauded at the show or remained absolutely silent and thoughtful.

"Now... Make it official. Form the _Wakai no In_ ( _Seal of Reconciliation_ )," Asuma said sternly to the two.

Naruto and Sasuke carefully moved their fists back. Their index and middle fingers used in the first seal were brought up and then interlocked, with Naruto's on the top and Sasuke's on the bottom. The whiskered blond gained a grin while the raven-haired teen smiled slightly.

Then, they promptly fell to their backs and passed out.

* * *

Omake: Valley of the End

 _Five Years Ago: Thirty Miles Outside of Kon Village_

"You're crazy!" A boy no older than the age of twelve called over the roars of the nearby waterfall.

Wild blond hair spiked uncontrollably from his head, kept out of his bright blue eyes by a thick blue bandana. An orange jacket with a white furred collar was zipped up to protect his neck with a gaudy pair of orange trousers over his legs and blue combat like sandals protected his feet. The boy's most prominent features were the whisker-like scars he had on either cheek, currently curled down into a frown.

There was another boy, across the rapid waterway between them. The boy the first had yelled at. He had raven black hair that spiked up in the back, and matching black eyes that glared at the orange-clad blond who yelled at him. The dark haired boy wore a high-collared blue shirt, white shorts and armbands, and like the blond, he had blue combat ready sandals to protect his feet.

"I need to do this!" The raven-haired boy shouted back. "You don't understand. You'll _never_ understand! How could you? You never _had_ parents to begin with!"

That struck a chord in the blond and he visibly winced. The other boy continued.

"What has Kon given me? Friends? All of them are worthless children! They can't give me the strength to kill _him_!"

"...No, but they can help you stop him-!"

"I don't want to stop him, Idiot! I want to kill him!"

"Why!?"

"Because that's why I'm still alive! I _must_ avenge my family!"

"That's no excuse to kill somebody! What will you do after you get your 'revenge'!?"

"..."

"Exactly! You can't go through with this!" The blond pressed. "If you go to that damn Snake for power, you'll only end up like him! A monster in human form! You _remember_ what his lackies did to Sakura! You want to end up like someone who could do that?"

"J-Just shut up, what do you know! You're an orphan! You don't have a family!"

"Yes I do!"

That made the raven-haired boy start.

"I've got a godfather! I had a grandfather! I have _brothers_! I have _sisters_! I have aunts and uncles! They may not see it that way, but I do! My family is larger than anyone elses, and it only keeps growing!" The blond yelled firmly. He held his fist out to the raven-haired boy and his blue eyes became hard. "I promised one of my sisters that I'd bring you back, even if I had to break every bone in your body to do so!"

"You couldn't even leave a scratch on me!" The raven-haired boy heatedly protested.

"Wanna bet?" The blond's skin began to glow.

"Don't start something you can't finish!" The pack slung over his shoulders was dropped to the ground and his hands began to spark.

The two boys glared at each other before they jumped from their respective banks. The blond's hands balled into fists and the onyx-eyed boy's knuckles turned white. Their right hands drew back before they were flung forward.

Each fist found its mark in the respective cheek that had been targeted, and the two boys fell into the water. They burst to the surface and continued their fight, fists flying while they struggled against the current of the water that raced towards the falls.

Finally, the raven-haired boy found a rock to kick off of and tackled the blond over the edge. They fell like rocks, the blond pounding his fist on the other boy's back before they crashed into the water below.

With gasps, the two boys broke the water surface and swam to the nearby shore.

They panted and coughed up water before they glared at each other.

The fight began again, this time with the blond slowly gaining the advantage. His Semblance was better suited for this fight, since the other needed time to gather his.

"Give up!" The blond barked after a final punch that knocked the other boy to the ground. The whiskered blond stood over his foe. "Just come home, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned and glared at the blond. Before either knew what was happening, Sasuke's right hand was encased in sparks of lightning and was flying like a thrown spear at the center of the blond's chest. A second before the attack pierced the blond's skin, his left hand shot up and pushed Sasuke's hand right.

There was a squelch and a gasp before what had happened really clicked in the boys' minds. Sasuke pulled his hand back and stared at the cauterized hole in the blond's chest.

"...Na-Naruto...Your lung..." Sasuke stared at the sight and then looked at his hand, covered in blood. Naruto fell to his knees and then to his side. His breathing was labored. Sasuke looked down at him, then to his bloody hand, and then back down at the struggling blond. His eyes narrowed and became cold.

"Idiot." Sasuke muttered lowly. "If you didn't move it would've been quick..."

Naruto coughed and pressed his hand over his chest. His other hand reached out and grabbed Sasuke's leg.

"...Not...dead...yet..." He protested. His eyes were becoming unfocused and lighter. "Gotta...keep...my...promise..."

Sasuke stared indifferently down at the blond for a moment. He then looked at the hole in Naruto's back from where his hand had pierced through. His eyes went wide.

Was it his eyes playing a trick on him or was the hole closing?

"Cause...Naruto...Uzumaki...never...breaks...a promise!" Naruto's coughing became less between each word and the hole in his torso began to heal, along with the hole in his lung. His eyes turned gold and his skin glowed.

Then Sasuke's arm was in immense pain before he was whipped at the cliff.

The last thing Sasuke can remember before he fell unconscious was the hard look in Naruto's golden eyes. It wasn't just a look, but the unnatural forgiveness transferred along with it made Sasuke's eyes widen slightly. There were unsaid words along with the forgiveness, and those words, though not spoken, were the reason that Sasuke did not fight back when Naruto picked him up over his shoulders.

Time to go home, Brother.

* * *

 **AN: So, first shot at an Omake. Tell me what you think of how the alternate fight went down? Oh, and this wasn't the whole fight, just so you know. Just a small glimpse at it. Next time, we get ready for that dance.**

 **REVIEW!**


	19. Parade in Space

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XIX: Parade in Space**

* * *

"This is absolutely ridiculous." Kurama mumbled as he fastened the button on his overcoat for his tuxedo. The school had delivered the suits to teams with males that morning, all as bland and identical as the next. According to the accompanying instructions on the pressed and cleaned tuxes, it was mandatory for the first portion of the dance and those who refused to conform would suffer the wrath of Professor Goodwitch. Since they had already been 'punished' by the librarian-like teacher, Team NHKS had decided to, amazingly, follow through with the instructions.

There were two saving graces to the suit. The first was that Kurama could still wear his Pineley's and not get reprimanded for it. Then the second was an appropriate hole for his tail to comfortably slip through.

"It isn't that bad," Haku said simply as he fixed his arm cuffs. Warm brown eyes looked over at his teammate with a smirk. "I know Velvet will like it."

"Shut it, Yuki." The Faunus growled.

"What I would like to know is how they got our measurements," Sasuke said under his breath as he adjusted his bowtie. His brows furrowed at his inability to get the infuriating neck accessory straight.

"Yes, that is most curious..." Haku agreed as he leaned against his bed. He looked to the bathroom, where the team leader had vanished almost five minutes prior to change.

"It's not like we have mandatory doctor check-up." Sasuke hummed. "Well, Naruto and I did after our fight yesterday."

"I still can't believe you two came out relatively unscathed." Haku gave Sasuke a look. "Well, Naruto I can understand. He's a bit more durable."

"Ooh, and a shot at the pretty-boy by the ambiguous one." Kurama chuckled.

"It helps that we weren't being entirely serious." Sasuke returned. Haku gave him a look.

"Seemed pretty serious."

Sasuke smirked lightly.

"Please, I was mostly bored and stressed about tonight more than anything, and since I don't have the possibility of releasing that stress like I did back home –"

"He means by having sex with his girlfriend," Kurama said in a stage whisper. Sasuke gave him a dull glare while Haku smiled lightly.

" – I decided to fall back into old habits and antagonize the idiot." Sasuke finished, his eyes still locked on Kurama in a glare. He looked back at Haku and smirked lightly. "And like the emotional dumbass he has always been, Naruto reacted accordingly."

"You two are arguably the strangest friends I've ever had to deal with." Haku drawled.

"Then you didn't have good friends!" The boisterous claim was followed by the click of a door being closed. The three boys looked at their team leader, who was in the midst of straightening his jacket before he grinned at his friends. Naruto clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "So, are we ready to rock, or what?"

"The Foolish Hooligans are covering for us until nine –" "Why is it always nine?" Naruto's question cut Haku off. The ambiguous boy gave his team leader a small smile.

"Because it's your lucky number," Kurama said with a smirk.

"Fair enough." Naruto nodded. He gestured to Haku. "Continue."

"Then at nine, we'll have Ozpin's speech, followed by a ten minute reprieve before we're needed on stage." Haku finished. He looked at the watch on his left wrist. "Which means if we leave now, we have only two hours to worry about mingling and dancing."

"Ah, it's so nice to have a secretary to keep us in line," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Way to stick with that librarian fetish, Sasuke."

"Go chase your bunny, fox-boy."

"Settle down guys," Naruto said to his teammates. He walked to the door of their room and grabbed the handle. "Let's get going before Sneeze sends an angry message. We're already a bit late."

"We're late?" Haku asked.

"In the eyes of a woman we are." Sasuke muttered sourly and Naruto shivered. Kurama smirked.

"Man, Sakura trained you two well. Glad you were both so stupid in the ways of the opposite sex that she couldn't focus her attention on me."

Naruto and Sasuke laughed dryly at Kurama's joke before they left the room.

* * *

"Well, it's about time you showed up, Whisker Boy," Yang said with a smirk aimed at her boyfriend. She had a surprisingly modest white dress on and her hair looked a tad more brushed than it usually was. A light application of makeup around her lilac eyes made them pop, thus making them the focus more than her slight cleavage, which usually was the focus, either by Yang's choice or not. Her 'popping' eyes roamed over her smartly dressed boyfriend and her grin widened.

"Mm, Mama likes it when her boys dress up for her." She praised the three, as Kurama had gone to pick Velvet up like the good date he is, though her gaze remained mostly on Naruto. The boy in question walked around the podium Yang was stationed behind and gave her a quick kiss before he took her pen and marked his team off.

"Anything for my _Yangel_." Naruto quipped. His comment earned him a light shove from his girlfriend and a duo of groans from his teammates.

"I am not standing here and listening to you two flirt. C'mon, Haku, let's go." Sasuke mumbled as he and Haku walked by the podium.

"Do _not_ call me that." Yang chuckled at Naruto's lame quip and snatched her pen back from him. Though it was amusing and earned him points for pun-use, Yang refused to be called a by such a cheesy pet name.

"Aw, but you call me Whisker Boy all the time. Not fair." Naruto pouted playfully.

"Oh, you act like you don't like it, but I know you do, _Whisker Boy_." Yang breathed the last two words out and fluttered her eyelashes.

"...That is so unfair. I need punch now. Closest thing to a cold shower I'm going to get," Naruto said sourly while Yang laughed.

"You love it." She accused with a smile.

"Unfortunately." Naruto sighed in false defeat and turned to walk away, only to pause and face her once more before he did. "Oh, and if anyone, guy or girl, tries anything, be sure to tell me."

"I can handle myself, you know. You don't need to defend my honor."

"This isn't your honor I'm defending, it's mine. After all, what sort of man allows another being to hit on his girlfriend without retribution? It would be like taking a shot below the belt and not reacting! Simply inexcusable!" Naruto declared with an overdramatic enthusiasm that made Yang laugh.

"You're scaring the guests away." Yang accused as she put her hands on Naruto's shoulders to push him away. "The sooner you're gone, the sooner more people will show up and _I_ can get onto the dance floor to draw all eyes to me with my natural beauty and my hot accessory."

"Using _me_ in your scheme?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at Yang while his grin remained on his face. "You conniving attention whore, you."

"And don't you forget it, Whisker Boy." Yang grinned back as she poked him in the chest.

The two blondes laughed once more before Naruto made his leave. He wasn't going to have much fun until the party really got started and that would either be when Yang was relieved from podium duty or when nine o'clock rolls around, depending on which occurred first. So, deciding to follow through with quenching his thirst, Naruto made his way to the punch bowl.

Awkwardly hovering around the bowl was a weakly smiling Ruby, who became, albeit slightly, visibly more uncomfortable with each person that arrived at the ballroom. She was not comfortable with her appearance, as she appeared well put together in a black and red dress, but more with the strangers that continued to walk in and begin mingling. Not for the first time, Naruto wondered how the fifteen-year-old managed among peers that were two years older than her.

With his friendly smile plastered on his face, Naruto approached his girlfriend's younger sister and his fellow team leader from the side.

"Is the punch any good?" He asked. Ruby didn't turn to him and tensed as she was brought from her thoughts.

"Eh, its fine...Er, I mean, it's great! Um...Well –" Finally facing him made relief wash over Ruby's features, followed by a small pout when she noticed the humor in his eyes. "Naruto! That's not funny!"

"I beg to differ," he said with a small chuckle as he filled a cup for himself. Naruto continued to smile lightly as Ruby pouted at him. He nudged her with his elbow as he stood at her side. "C'mon, Rubes, lighten up. It's a party, go mingle! Make some new friends, don't be the punch bowl girl."

"Ugh, now you sound like Yang _and_ our dad!" Ruby groaned. She looked down at her punch with a small frown. "Meeting people is hard."

"Well, I would say you're wrong, but we've got different personalities," Naruto said thoughtfully. Noticing that his thoughts did little to help Ruby's disposition, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, then go look for some old ones. Like, Blake an-"

"She and Sun snuck out two minutes ago." The response made Naruto blink. He idly wondered what his pen pal was up to and brushed it off to continue focusing on the problem at hand.

"...Okay, then why not go find Weiss-?"

"Is busy obsessing over the tables' flowers and her doilies."

"...Humph, doilies..." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he stared off in the distance. Ruby snickered at his reaction, snapping him from his far off stare. "Okay, so your teammates ditched you. Been there. What about Jaune?"

"I actually haven't seen him or the rest of his team yet," Ruby said quietly. She fidgeted with her paper cup and looked up at Naruto curiously. "Can we not talk about my poor people skills?"

"You know, evading a problem is the same as running from it."

"...Now you sound like my Uncle Qrow..." Ruby narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are you?"

"Smartass, Delinquent, Leader, Philanthropist." Naruto quickly replied before he took a sip of his punch. He noted the stare that Ruby gave him when he mentioned the last one. "What? My parents didn't leave me broke, far from it, actually. I donated most of it to the orphanage where I grew up and others across Vacuo once it was given to me on my sixteenth birthday. The rest is in the stock market. I could be a billionaire today and homeless tomorrow. Not that it matters to me, I've already paid for enrollment for Kurama and myself. Besides, I've always wanted to be a Huntsman."

"...You're rich?" Ruby asked.

"Technically," Naruto said with another shrug. "Not on the level that Sneeze is, but I'm not too bad. Don't care about it, really. Only thing that Lien is good for is helping others. I use mine for buying ammo, jackets and ramen."

"But...But what about the whole money for pictures thing?!" Ruby asked. She saw the Lien symbol in his eye. Figuratively, of course, she didn't literally see it. That would be silly.

"Like I've always said: more money means more ramen." Naruto grinned at Ruby. "I'm _always_ up for more ramen."

"And his parents refused to let him use his inheritance for that." The baritone voice made the two teens turn to see Asuma, dressed in a nice tux as well as lacking his usual cigarette, and Kurenai's arm looped in his. The red-eyed beauty was _stunning_ , her wavy raven black hair flowed curtained down to the back of her shoulders, and she wore a primarily dark red dress that showed a lot of back.

"...I like to keep that part to myself." Naruto muttered. "Besides, they _both_ loved the noodle goodness that was Ramen. They knew it would continue on. The love of Oum's Noodles in the Uzumaki blood is too strong to be diluted by outsiders!"

"Which is why they put that specific in their will, Naruto. You know if given the chance you would've blown it all on a Ramen stand when you were younger," Asuma said with a smirk.

"Damn right I would!" Naruto mumbled as he lifted his cup up to his mouth. "Still would, too..."

Kurenai shook her head and looked at Ruby. "I'm not surprised you don't know more about his parents, Ruby. They're heroes in Vacuo, but unknown to all that they haven't helped in the rest of Remnant. I always thought it odd, because they chose to attend Beacon as well. You'd think Ozpin would promote such a thing."

"Yes, because 'Beacon, school to Vacuo's Bloody Death and Thunder God' has such a lovely ring to it." Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"Point to the blondie." Asuma nodded.

"Bloody Death?" Ruby asked, her mind spinning.

"Mom's nickname. Personally, I like Vacuo's titles more: The Red-Hot Blooded Habanero!" Naruto grinned. "Throw in Dad's moniker, The Yellow Flash, and you get me: The Orange Titan!"

"One thing Pop was good at was dishing out nicknames during the Hidden Mid-Class Tournament." Asuma smiled fondly, his gaze clouded as he became lost in memory. Ruby's eyes sparkled.

"A title...That's so cool!" The younger Beacon freshman pouted jealously. "All I got in Signal were a few good grades and a ribbon for the weapon craft contest."

"Well, like Sun said, Vacuo's not really a shirt and tie kind of place," Naruto said. Kurenai groaned while Asuma nodded in agreement.

"Don't remind me. It took me all of yesterday evening – after we assured Professor Ozpin that you and Sasuke _wouldn_ ' _t_ start anything–" Kurenai gave Naruto a look of warning that he shrunk under slightly. "To convince this lug to put on his tuxedo."

"And not smoke. I hate tuxedoes almost as much as I hate nicotine patches." Asuma grumbled and reached up to rub his arm, only for Kurenai to slap his hand away.

"Stupid monkey suits...Almost as bad as doilies." Naruto glared down into his drink before he sighed. "The things we do for the ladies we care for."

"So much sacrifice, not enough victory." Asuma nodded in agreement once again. Kurenai gave him an amused smirk.

"So, you would prefer to win more often?" she asked.

"...Oh, look, Pete wants a word." Asuma deflected and began to lead Kurenai away. He looked back at Naruto and Ruby with a quick wave while Kurenai laughed. "See you later kids!"

"Bye." Ruby waved awkwardly while Naruto snorted and took a drink from his punch. The silver-eyed girl looked back at the older teen. "Why'd he do that? Professor Port isn't over there."

"It was a escape tactic. I personally would've gone with the compliment to intellect method, but he might've overused it." Naruto hummed thoughtfully. "I should start to mix it up a bit, can't be too flirty. And maybe get a real date set up..."

"Am I really the one you should be talking to about this?" Ruby asked.

"Well, you are technically the second most important figure in your sister's life whose approval I have to get." Naruto explained. He grimaced. "Still have to meet your dad..."

"And our Uncle Qrow." Ruby added. "And Zwei."

"...Who is Zwei?" _And why do I feel like that name will be used against me in future arguments with the bastard? Particularly where my intelligence is concerned._

"He's our dog." Ruby pouted slightly. "I miss Zwei."

"Well, there's no rule that says no pets on campus..." Naruto trailed off as his gaze fell on his Faunus teammate as he walked past with Velvet, the rabbit-eared girl clad in what could only be described as a lovely and modest dress that matched her namesake. The sight of the two Faunus made him recall an event long since past.

"On second thought, probably not a good idea. Kurama doesn't really get along well with dogs..."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked the older boy.

"Probably shouldn't say anything," Naruto said lowly. He cleared his throat slightly and nodded to the couple that caught his eye. Ruby turned and smiled widely at the sight.

"Aww, they look so cute!"

"I withhold all opinions until Velvet manages to do what others couldn't and stick around for longer than a week." Naruto mused. The corner of his lips pulled up into a smile when Ruby looked at him. "But, between the two of us, I think the fox and hare make a match. And if Velvet asks, I will give any and all help...even if it means blackmailing Kurama."

A pointer finger and thumb grabbed onto Naruto's cheek in a tight pinch. The whiskered blond glowered as the familiar face of Coco Adel stood at his side and wiggled the flesh in her grasp. She wore an auburn colored dress that showed a generous amount of her left leg, matching gloves and heels as well as a few pearl necklaces. Beside her was an apologetically smiling, and very well dressed, Fox Alistair. Fox gave Naruto a small shrug and then turned to the side in order to pour himself some punch.

 _Freaking traitor..._ Naruto thought bitterly while his eye squinted in discomfort. _Or, is he a brilliant tactician...?_

"Aw, now isn't that sweet?" Coco cooed with a smile as she tortured the teen she declared her younger brother. "Seems like Blondie trained you so well."

"Coco, you have three seconds to let go of my face or I _will_ destroy your closet and everything within." Naruto warned his. He grimaced as the pinch became harder and the cheek was pulled further.

"Would you care to repeat yourself, Naruto? I thought something stupid came out of your mouth." Coco's sweet smile became tighter and her brown eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ow! Coco, let go!"

"That doesn't sound like an apology..."

"Sorry! Sorry! I won't do anything to your clothes, now will you please let me go?" He was starting to lose feeling in his cheek.

"That's what I thought." Coco released Naruto's cheek and smiled at Ruby. "So, who's this then? Another little girlfriend I should know about? The scandal!"

Ruby, who had been giving Naruto a sympathetic glance, became the same color as her hood while the blond in question rolled his eyes and rubbed his cheek

"Yep. You got me, Coco. I'm cheating on Yang with her younger sister. Right in the middle of this ballroom." The dry manner in which Naruto spoke did little to lessen the red in Ruby's cheeks.

"Wha-! No! Ignore everything he's saying!" Ruby frantically waved her hands in front of her. "We're not-I would never! I mean, not that you're not a bad guy, but you're like Yang! It'd be like dating my brother!"

"Well, I can't be too sure. You know what they say: Incest is-Mmph!" Coco's mouth was covered by Fox's hand. His white eyes closed and he sighed while Naruto tried not to laugh as Ruby's face darkened even further.

"Sorry. Coco, let's go dance." Fox rumbled lowly as he set his cup down and pulled his team leader-slash-date towards the dance floor. The brunette turned back and gave Naruto and Ruby a wink before she took the lead.

"...I still can't figure out if they're together or not." Naruto hummed with pursed lips. His pride in his people reading skills took a _huge_ blow at the admission. With Fox's mute tendency and his stoic personality it was hard to get a read on him, and Coco was usually either flirting or teasing him. Unfortunately for Naruto, it was usually the latter.

"What was she going to say?" Ruby asked, her brows furrowed in confusion as her cheeks cooled.

"...Huh, would you look at that. Time to go dance with Yang. Later Rubes, try not to be the punch bowl girl." Naruto quickly walked away before he had to explain the saying to his girlfriend's younger sister. He knew that Ruby would pursue the subject until it was answered, and he noticed Jaune on his way over. Deciding to let his fellow team leaders bond over their social-awkwardness, Naruto was confident that it was an appropriate moment to make his escape.

* * *

"So you managed to develop that with your semblance just to keep your team leader in check?" Scarlet, the redheaded member of team SSSN, asked Haku.

The androgynous boy had nearly stumbled into Scarlet completely when Cardin brushed by him. The bully had regained a bit of his confidence in the small time that Naruto had been distract-er, refocused his attention from keeping the egotistical members of CRDL in check to more personal issues, such as his newfound and budding relationship with the powerhouse of Team RWBY. And no, Haku was _not_ about to call Yang a distraction for Naruto, far from it!

Though maybe there was still a bit too much newlywed romance for Haku's taste. And perhaps a little less drama would be preferred, especially when it was Naruto's own fault. Then again, Haku wanted normalcy after what had occurred prior to his enrollment to Beacon.

But still, was so much affection really normal between two people?

Then again, Haku never had a meaningful relationship with a member of the opposite sex since his early years in school (ah, to be young, puppy love...thank God he grew out of that) and just looking had been working fine for him. It does beg the question of what type of girl Haku would be attracted to...whom he'd wish to settle down with-

Banishing the thoughts of 'what ifs' and 'would bes' from his mind, Haku kept his polite smile in place as he answered the other teen's question.

"Well, Scarlet, wouldn't you if it meant you could've kept Sun from vanishing?" Haku asked. The look on the redheaded boy's face said it all and Haku chuckled lightly.

"You seriously have _no_ idea what kind of Hell we were put through by our teachers when we realized he stowed away on that ship." Scarlet rubbed his face with his right hand and sent a sour, one-eyed glare over to the back of Sun's head. The Faunus was ignorant of the stare, too busy laughing with Blake at something that Neptune said. The redheaded teen turned back to his androgynous acquaintance.

"You wouldn't be willing to share that secret power, would you?"

Haku laughed softly and Scarlet sighed.

"Didn't think so." He looked up and crossed his arms. "So, what prompted you to develop it?"

"My team's leader, who I cannot find and now worry he may have gotten a tad too bored..." Haku scoured the guests for that familiar and hard-to-miss mop of unruly blond hair to no avail. Well, wonderful, now he had to find the lovable idiot before someone exploded and/or spontaneously turned purple. "Has a passion for pranks. I developed the 'looking glass' in secret at first, then showed it to my teammates, but not Naruto. He discovered it after his venture for his next prank went south."

"How'd it go bad?" Scarlet's question made Haku lose some color in his already pale skin. His eyes glazed over slightly and a tremble went over his form. A loud laugh belonging to the hammer-wielding member of Team JNPR made Haku snap out of his stupor.

"In respect for the polite company and atmosphere, I'm afraid I'll have to reveal that at a...later time." Haku coughed awkwardly and looked over at the punch, where Ruby and Jaune were hovering. "Er, excuse me, Scarlet, I'm feeling a bit parched."

"Uh-huh...I expect to get an answer soon, Haku." Scarlet frowned slightly while the androgynous teen walked away. "Crap, he can totally spy on whoever he wants...I gotta warn the others about that."

* * *

"Well, don't you two look cozy."

Kurama frowned at his partner's approach to the table that he and Velvet had sat down at, a bit away from the rest of the dance's guests. A few students from Atlas had gotten very close to pushing Kurama's buttons one too many times and Velvet, being older and wiser than her date, managed to pull him away before a fight broke out. Granted, it wasn't because of her doubt in Kurama's abilities, but because of the effects of such an incident would tarnish Beacon's Faunus friendly reputation.

Not that it was secure with Team CRDL and biased older students still around, but the fact still stands that Beacon was still notably the Faunus friendly school.

Begs the question as to why Sun went to Mistral instead, doesn't it?

* * *

Elsewhere, a perverted old hermit sneezed and grimaced when he looked up from his peephole to find his inspiration had snuck up behind him. The Toad Sage grimaced as the beautiful towel-clad women descended on him. He really shouldn't have taken the detour to the hot spring and just went straight to Ozpin's silly little 'Let's All Be Friends' party. Pessimistic, yes, but when one was born and raised in Vacuo during the 'warring' years, pessimism was the norm.

 _Plus_ , he thought as a foot nailed him in the jaw. _Could've run into Naruto by now. Catch up, kick his ass, and see if he's gotten a girlfriend yet. If yes, new material to use hehehe, and if not, well, maybe he'd be up for a trip to the Red Light Dis-_ "NOT THERE! THE FACE! HIT ME IN THE FACE!"

* * *

Then again, maybe it doesn't. Perhaps Mrs. Wukong is simply a wise woman.

"N-Nice to see you, Sasuke." Velvet smiled at her date's teammate. "W-Where's your date?"

"Prince Charming here didn't get one." Kurama cut in with a small smirk. "That's, what, two events now that you've gone without a date since you and Sakura broke up?"

"...You're a dick, Kurama." Sasuke glowered at his partner.

"And you're an asshole." Kurama countered with a shrug. He smirked and arched a brow over his sunglasses. "I guess we're a good pair, if a bit difficult to work together."

"I never said you were a huge one."

"Nor did I say you were a loose one."

"K-Kurama! S-Sasuke!" Velvet finally managed to cut in, her cheeks red at their vulgarity. The two teens looked at her and she mustered up a glare. "Language!"

Kurama and Sasuke stared at Velvet before the latter snorted. Kurama tried to conceal his smirk with his hand and ultimately turned his head away. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut as his mouth turned upwards into a smile. Kurama's shoulders trembled and his hand hiding his smirk curled into a fist. A beat passed and Velvet hadn't dropped her 'menacing' glare.

The two partners lost it.

"Oh my god!" Sasuke's laughter was concealed by the various other conversations going on around the ballroom. Velvet's cheeks darkened further and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"A-And j-just _what_ is so funny?" Velvet asked, stuttering due to her slight embarrassment.

"Vel, stop glaring...I can't handle it." Kurama pleaded through his own laughter. "You look too cute."

That certainly made Velvet loose her 'evil' eye and her cheeks practically glowed red. She shrunk away from the laughing duo and began to fiddle with her hands. Velvet wasn't used to this much interaction with people who weren't her teammates, and curse Coco for trying to get her to branch out. The rabbit-eared Faunus did _not_ do well in crowds or social environments, especially when the social environment involved the opposite sex. Kurama thought she was cute, was she supposed to respond? Complement him? This is why Velvet both hated and loved her team leader: Coco was _adamant_ that she learn how to deal with boys on her own, but the problem was Velvet could barely hold a conversation with them, let alone flirt!

Thankfully, her nerves were quelled when her date quickly recomposed himself and placed his hand over hers.

"Vel, relax." Kurama smiled at her. "We're not making fun of you. Well, a little, but c'mon...You just don't have the face for glaring."

Velvet smiled back timidly and her eyes drifted down to Kurama's hand over hers. Larger, a tad more callused, strong and oh so masculine, a lot like Kurama himself...Velvet's cheeks heated up a bit. Okay, so maybe Coco left a bit of a mark on her. Her eyes quickly looked back up to Kurama's sunglasses (damned things made it hard to tell where he was looking, and the fact that that didn't make Velvet angry or annoyed was in itself annoying and a tad bit worrying). She could see the faint outline of his pupil, locked with hers. His hand tightened slowly over hers and her smile became a bit braver.

"...I swear to God, if you start to call each other cutesy nicknames I'm going to puke."

Sasuke's amused comment broke the Faunus' locked gaze. Kurama turned and audibly growled at him. Velvet was surprised when she noted that his cheeks were a tad pink.

 _He's so cute when he's flustered_. The stray thought was quick as it went through Velvet's head, but it was not argued with. The rabbit-eared girl gained a small, quick pout when Kurama's hand retreated from hers.

"I'll give you something to puke over-!"

Velvet sighed and watched with an amused smile as the two friends began another banter. Her cheeks heated only slightly due to their vulgarity, but thankfully it was not as embarrassing as the last. Velvet heard a soft whistle to her left and glanced away, her eyes quickly finding the source of the sound in her team leader. Coco winked at her before she looked back at Fox while they danced together to the music.

"Yeah, well, at least I've got a dance partner." Kurama's growl brought Velvet's attention back to him and Sasuke. Her hand was taken in his again, though a firm grip it was still done gently, and he rose. His attention turned to her. "Dance?"

Whatever Sasuke said must have really ruffled his feathers if he had to ask crudely. Then again, her date was younger and quite possibly just as inexperienced in this sort of interaction as she was. The faint blush still present in Kurama's cheeks confirmed Velvet's theory and she rose with him, a smile on her face as she did.

"S-Sure."

* * *

A few hours had passed and the clock had finally struck nine. Naruto regrettably left Yang's side when Haku appeared next to them when Ozpin began his speech. It was regrettable only due to the fact that the buxom minx had managed to tease him into a blush – she caught him off guard with a very suggestive innuendo – and he'd been unable to get her back for it. Yet.

A prankster's war never ends.

Especially when it is conducted with a significant other who also partakes in the art of vengeful/humiliating surprise.

"Can I have five minutes? I just need five minutes to get payback!" Naruto hissed as he and Haku met up with Sasuke and Kurama backstage. "Freaking Ozpin cut me off and my line was going to make her knees weak!"

"...Was it the 'arms heavy, Oum's spaghetti' bit?" Sasuke asked. Kurama groaned and Naruto grinned confidently while Haku looked between them in confusion.

"Do I want to-?"

"No, trust me." Kurama held his hand up and shook his head. "It's not worth it. I don't even know how it works, but good God does it work."

"I was going to use the 'talented tongue and magic fingers' line," Naruto said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But now that I think about it...maybe the arm spaghetti line is better...considering my adversary's own talented tongue."

"Too much information. Way too much." Sasuke groaned as he began to undress, Kurama and Haku doing the same. Naruto shrugged in return and did the same as the rest of his team.

They hung their jackets on the rack nearby and revealed that underneath their dress shirts and pants was another layer clothing. Naruto wore (naturally) an orange muscle shirt, with Kurama also donning a muscle shirt, though he wore neon pink. The Faunus wore it in stride, since it wasn't a terrible color for a male to wear and he was comfortable enough with his masculinity to wear it. Sasuke and Haku both had turtle-necked long sleeves, with the former's a neon blue and the latter's neon green.

Thankfully, the shirts were not just the bright color, and had some dark patches to them. Naruto and Kurama both had grey-ish bars up their sides and around their necks, while Haku and Sasuke had black designs strewn throughout the shirts. Beneath their dress pants were jeans, skinny in Sasuke's case and ripped as well as vandalized in Naruto's, that were masterfully hidden by the four boys.

Changing out of the dress shoes were a must, though, since none of the four were comfortable in the damned, toe-constricting things.

"Damn, we look stupid..." Kurama chuckled as he looked over himself and the rest of his team. "Then again, considering who thought this up..."

"Hey, it fits the song, man...besides, people could always use more color in their life!" Naruto grinned. He grinned wider, if possible, as Ozpin wrapped his monologue up. "Showtime."

"Well, if we can't beat him, might as well kick his ass afterwards." Sasuke suggested.

"Fair enough. At least my eyes are concealed. Some of my identity is protected..."

"Fuck you, Kurama."

"Pass, but thanks for the offer, Sasuke."

"Shut up. We're on." Naruto walked through the curtain with Haku behind him as the DJs dimmed the lights. Murmurs broke through the crowd as the four teammates got situated on the stage once the DJs' relocated themselves a bit to the back. At Naruto's signal, the lights slowly came back on, but multicolored and reflecting off of the icy white theme that Weiss had originally planned. It looked like a kaleidoscope had engulfed the ballroom.

"Hello ladies, gentlemen, Faunus and Human alike!" Naruto greeted the crowd boisterously from where he stood center stage behind a large keyboard. Sasuke was making a final adjustment to his bass on the left, Kurama gave his guitar a few test strums on the right and Haku was looking over his drum set behind them. Naruto continued despite the mutters of disbelief. "You might already know two of us as the uh, rambunctious guys who knocked each other out yesterday. We are Team NHKS of Beacon, and we would like to cordially welcome you...In song!"

Stares were given to them and Naruto chuckled.

"I'm kidding, this is just something we whipped up before we hired the Foolish Fools, who by the way, are local...I think." Naruto looked at the helmeted duo. "Come on, take the helmets off!"

They shook their heads.

"Well, can't say I didn't try." Naruto turned back to the crowd as scattered laughter filled the air. He smiled. "Well, we don't want to take up too much time, this is just a couple of guys being idiots, so...Hope you enjoy it!"

The blond turned to Kurama, who nodded and began to strum as Haku drummed. Naruto and Sasuke leaned into their microphones to vocalize while their instruments joined in. The Foolish Fools in the back began to run the lights, making the ballroom's colorful lighting spin and dance to the beat. The whiskered blond broke the vocal and began to sing, his voice soothing to his audience.

" _Coming up slowly / Oh, sun over the hill / Daylight's still a long time coming / But I know it will. Been under spell / Oh, but we're coming awake / So we'll be rude / we'll be loud._ " Naruto grinned and sought out his fellow Vacuo natives, who cheered in agreement. " _As long as it takes._ "

Naruto and Kurama stopped playing while Haku and Sasuke continued. The whiskered blond brought his microphone closer and pointed out at the audience.

" _And this is why, this is why / We crank the dial to the right / Oo this is why we're biting the bullet / we know the kids are right._ " Naruto's eyes shut as his finger shot over to Sasuke. "Sing!"

Naruto and Kurama joined back in as the blond and Sasuke sang the next bit together. The lights began to flash through the four primary colors Team NHKS currently wore. The individuals in the crowd didn't know when they started to dance, and they didn't care. The music was good and the four teens were obviously enjoying themselves, making it an even more fun experience for the crowd.

" _Oo-eoo-ooh / Different colors / Oo-eoo-ooh / We carry each other / Oo-eoo-ooh / We're just different colors!_ " Sasuke backed away from his mic as Naruto continued, the two dancing as they played. " _This is why we're biting the bullet / We know the kids are right._ "

Naruto pulled back and took a brief millisecond to take in the crowd's joy and the good atmosphere before he went onto the next verse with a smile on his face.

" _We keep cranking the music up / Driving through our towns._ " A holographic image of the White Fang and Fourth War's symbols appeared beside Naruto. " _But they don't wanna hear / They want us to turn it down._ "

Naruto stopped playing once again and held his hands out to the ballroom.

" _So come on, lovers / Come on, haters / Tonight we raise the fire!_ " The whiskered blond's hands rose up and then came back down to the keyboard. " _Cause when the people get to dancing / They forget about taking sides_."

Students from across the four kingdoms were clapping and dancing together, showing his words rang true. Asuma and Kurenai whistled and cheered from their place in the back while Guy sobbed into a laughing Aoba's shoulder. Sun had dragged Blake into the crowd of dancers, the two Faunus smiling widely together. Naruto had to do a double take when he saw Jaune and Pyrrha dancing together, with the former in a dress that he got from who knows where. Ren and Nora joined in and a circle formed around the team as they danced together.

His smile still in place Naruto began the chorus once more with Sasuke.

" _This is why, this is why / We crank the dial to the right / This is why we're biting the bullet / We know the kids are right._ " Naruto grinned and pointed up as he and the crowd unanimously shouted. "Sing!"

" _Oo-eoo-ooh / Different colors!_ " Naruto, Sasuke, Haku and the dance's attendees sang together. " _Oo-eoo-ooh / We carry each other / Oo-eoo-ooh / We're just different colors!_ _This is why we're biting the bullet / We know the kids are right._ "

The music dwindled slightly and Kurama took hold of his microphone.

"For every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction..." His words echoed at the will of the Foolish Fools and the holographic symbols of the terrorist cells clashed together to explode in a rain of sparks. The lights died down and Kurama backed away from his mic as Naruto detached his from the stand.

" _We're coming awake,_ " Naruto's voice was soft and the crowd focused on him as he walked to the edge and crouched eyes looked through the many faces, lighting up as they fell on the few familiar ones he knew. " _Out of your spell / As long as it takes / We're coming awake..._ "

The whiskered blond slowly rose up from his crouch, his grin slowly returning with the beat and the lights.

" _Oh, we're coming awake / Outta your spell / As long as it takes / We're coming awa-a-ake!_ " The music ceased entirely as Naruto stood upright and faced the crowd with the mic in hand. " _And this is why / this is why / we crank the dial to the right._ "

The mic was held out to the audience and to the lead's growing joy, they didn't disappoint him.

"This is why we're biting the bullet, we know the kids are right!" The gathered many sang back in tune. The beaming blond turned and had a bounce in his step as he walked back to his keyboard while Kurama and Sasuke gave sharp strums.

"I said: _This is why / This is why / We turn it up all night / Oh this is why we're biting the bullet / We know the kids are right._ " Naruto reattached his mic quickly and effectively before the four boys started the chorus back up, each singing into a microphone while the Foolish Fools made the lights dance once more.

" _Oo-eoo-ooh / Different colors / Oo-eoo-ooh / We carry each other / Oo-eoo-ooh / We're just different colors / This is why we're biting the bullet / We know the kids are right!_ "

Kurama made his guitar sing the opening vocal to the chorus before the next line.

" _Different colors!_ " Sasuke, Haku and Naruto sang together. Kurama made his guitar sing once more.

" _We carry each other!_ "

" _Oh ye-e-ea-a-ah!_ " Sasuke shook his head as he sang over the chorus the three others continued. " _We're just different colors!_ "

"This is why we're biting the bullet, we know the kids are right!" Naruto finished the lyrics and the music faded away, accompanied by a whammy insert by Kurama.

The attendees absolutely loved it. Whistles, cheers and applause filled the room. Team NHKS shared grins, or beamed a smile in Naruto's case, with one another before they turned back to the audience and bowed as one. Naruto grabbed his mic and pointed over at the duo of DJs.

"Give it up for the Foolish Fools!" He and his team began to clap along with the large crowd of formally dressed teenagers. More applause came from the audience as the DJs bowed slightly and then pointed back at Naruto. Naruto pointed back at them. "Without their expert help we'd probably would've messed this up. Considering the fight yesterday and the fact we only got that one song ready, let me just say that I'm so relieved Professor Ozpin has a good taste in music. Not bad for an old guy, right?"

The crowd laughed slightly and Beacon's headmaster chuckled into a cup of tea.

"Thank you, now we have to go get all dressed up again...Ugh...My Vacuo bros know what I'm talkin' about!" Naruto grinned over at the mish-matched, barely admissibly well-dressed group of teens, who hooted and hollered when he singled them out. He laughed and said three more words before he and his team disappeared backstage. "Thank you, goodnight!"

* * *

 **AN: Wow, that was really fun.**

 **Oh, shit, disclaimer: Bonesboy15 does not own "Different Colors" the rights, lyrics and music of the song belong to Walk the Moon. I do have a copy though.**

 **Never heard of them? They're the geniuses that came out with** _ **Shut Up and Dance**_ **.**

 **Already knew that? I'll just go stand over there now...**

 **RE-TALKING IS HARD!**


	20. The Toad Sage

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XX: The Toad Sage**

* * *

~ _Five Years Ago_ ~

 _The Village of Kon was a beautiful boarder village on the edge of Vacuo's vast and near endless desert. The most well balanced of what were called the 'Hidden' Villages, due to the extremes most occupants subjected themselves to – one village lived at the peak of a mountain, hidden amongst clouds where the air was thin – Kon was a thriving destination for people and had at one point been among the top pick of the host for the Vytal Festival. However, with the ire of the terrorist group Fourth War focused on this village for reasons unknown, Kon had suffered and quickly rejoined its 'Hidden' sister villages where they resided in the back of Remnant's mind._

 _That did not mean Kon was desolate, poor, or near bankrupt. No, for its balanced warm climate, fine education, good people, Kon was still one of the few oasis getaways the citizens of Vacuo would visit. Not to mention, it and its sisters had an underground following because of the bi-annual Hidden Mid-Class Tournament. People from all over Vacuo, and a few from other Kingdoms, flocked to the host village with lien in their pockets to gamble over the young fighters that called the Hidden Villages their homes._

 _One such fighter was a twelve-year-old blond boy with odd scars on his cheeks. The boy was clad in only his green and orang boxers, currently soaked to the bone, his skin burning pink from an unintentional dip in the hot springs, and his eyes narrowed at the back of a white-haired man that was currently peeping into the women's fenced-off hot spring._

 _"Hey you dirty old pervert! What the Hell was that for?!" The outraged cry was done in mild defense of the Hunter that the 'dirty old pervert' had knocked straight into the sky when the Hunter tried to stop the peeper from peeping._

 _The white-haired man quickly turned around and glared at the blond. Red tear-like lines fell from his dark eyes to the bottom of his jaw, and a small single wart was on the side of his nose. A horned steel plate covered his forehead, pushing back the thick white hair that threatened to fall into the man's face._

 _"Why don't you keep it down and go play somewhere else, kid? You're a bit young to truly understand an artist's mind," he said with an edge to his tone._

 _"An artist? Sure, yeah, and I'm a little fairy." The blond scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. His eye twitched when he realized the man had turned back to his peephole._

 _"Might as well be with how short you are," said the man. A perverted giggle escaped him after his nonchalant diss and the sound of something shuffling soon followed._

 _"Oi! Who are you calling short, Peeper!?" The boy practically shouted the last word. The man went rigid as the girls on the other side of the fence started to cover themselves and scream in fear and anger. He faced the boy with the snarl on his face._

 _"Goddammit! You stupid shit, do you know how close I was to finishing – ?"_

 _"That's disgusting!" The blond covered his mouth and looked away, his face quickly becoming green at the thought of the old man doing such an act publicly._

 _"My next chapter! I was so close to finishing up the next chapter for my book!" The man corrected the blond's assumption with an infuriated look on his face. He even held up the small notebook he was using to write._

 _"Chapter?" The green left the blond's face and he looked over the notebook. Glowing red replaced what had once been green and the prepubescent teen jumped away, a finger of accusation locked on the old man. "I was right! You are nothing more than a dirty old pervert!"_

 _"I most certainly am not!"_

 _"Bull! That notebook and that peephole says otherwise!"_

 _"I am not a dirty old pervert!"_

 _"Oh yeah, then what are ya?!"_

 _The man gained a proud smile and stood up with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out._

 _"I am a super pervert!" The man held his finger up pointedly. "The super pervert, to be precise. Despite whatever that runt Roshi thinks, I am his superior in the art of perversion! I can take a woman with modest beauty and with my words alone transform her into your deepest darkest teenage desires!"_

 _"...How is that better?!"_

 _"You wouldn't understand, you're what? Ten?"_

 _"I'm almost thirteen, jackass!"_

 _"Ooh, better watch your mouth kid, don't want your mommy to come washing it out."_

 _"I'd be afraid if I even had a mom to worry about!" The man's smirk faltered slightly, but the boy didn't show any outward change. The blond thrust a finger back at the white-haired man. "Hey, don't think I didn't notice that you changed the subject! You punched my temp-teacher out of the village! How the Hell am I suppose to train for the Tournament now!?"_

 _"...They let a runt like you into the Tournament?" The man asked._

 _"I'm not short, goddammit! I just haven't reached my growth spurt yet!"_

 _"Calm down, kid, I've been there." The man waved him off. He rubbed his chin and then shrugged. "Well, all I can say is I'm sorry about your troubles. I got a book to finish, so, I guess hopefully I won't see you around."_

 _The blond gaped as the man started to walk away. He quickly ran after him, completely forgetting about his clothes folded at the side of the spring._

 _"Hey, you gotta help me or...Or I'll tell the Old Man what you did!"_

 _"Tattling? Ooh, you got me good, kid."_

 _"And I'll prank you ten ways to Sunday!"_

 _The man arched a brow._

 _"Is that supposed to be a threat?" he asked._

 _"You'd better believe it! Naruto Uzumaki is the best damn prankster in all of Vacuo and if you do me wrong, I'll find you and embarrass the flying fuck out of you!"_

 _That got the man to stop. He turned around and stared at the blond for a brief moment._

Definitely _their_ son, _the man thought._ Master Sarutobi didn't tell me that he was such a loud runt. Hard to believe twelve years have gone by...He looks a lot like you, Minato.

 _"What the Hell are you staring at, Perv?" Naruto demanded with a scowl. "You into kids, too?"_

But he's definitely _your_ son, Kushina. _The man's eye twitched and he could imagine the woman grinning proudly at the accusatory tone his thoughts took. Her husband would be laughing in agreement, the damned traitor._

 _"No, you just reminded me of someone I haven't seen in a while. What'd you say your name was?" The man asked. The boy blinked and grinned proudly as he pounded a fist against his chest._

 _"Naruto Uzumaki, future Huntsman of Remnant!"_

 _"Well, then Naruto Uzumaki, allow me to introduce myself." The man started a strange dance as he began his introduction on a small bridge. "I am the Hermit of Mount Myōboku; the wise and powerful Sage of Toads; the man who makes women flock for pleasure; the Gallant Jiraiya!"_

 _Naruto stared at him and Jiraiya, still in what he thought was the coolest pose ever for an introduction, closed his eyes, his grin plastered on his face._

Yes, be in awe of my amazing-ness! Just like Minato, he's speechless, I've still got-!

 _"You're the crazy guy in the marketplace that people steer their children away from because he keeps spouting apocalypse nonsense."_

 _Jiraiya fell flat on his face. A silent wail of anguish and annoyance escaped him and in the back of his mind repeated the mantra:_ He's Kushina's son, he's Kushina's son, he's Kushina's son, he's Kushina's son, he's Kushina's son.

 _A finger poked into the side of his face and Jiraiya glared up at the smirking blond._

 _"But, I think Freeman is a nice guy, so maybe there's hope for you...Even if you're a dirty old pervert."_

 _"...I hate you, kid."_

 _"You're not the first to say that and you certainly won't be the last."_

 _As he got to his feet, Jiraiya couldn't fight down the guffaw at the blond's cheeky grin._

Yep. He's definitely Kushina _and_ Minato's son.

* * *

~ _Present_ ~

As she deflected several Dust shards from striking her with the scythe mode of Crescent Rose, Ruby scowled at the mysterious burglar that had suddenly attacked her. Okay, well, in hindsight, she should've known that was going to happen. Someone sneaking across rooftops and breaking into the CCT was bound to be up to no good.

Still though, Ruby used her manners and was polite even when she addressed the cat burglar. According to Weiss, there was supposed to be some courtesy shown!

 _Last time I listen to her people skills advice when I'm chasing a criminal._ Ruby thought sourly. While she fired at the acrobatic thief, Ruby's thoughts went to her various friends' advice over meeting people and why she had stepped out of the Dance in the first place. She couldn't help that she was socially awkward! Society was awkward-er than she was, so why did she have to conform?

 _Fight now, think later!_ Ruby mentally scolded herself. She spun Crescent Rose in her hands and held it at her hip. Her large caliber bullets fired through the air and shattered the electronic screens or pierced the controls of the CCT's data room, each shot meant for the infiltrator who dodged them and crafted a bow out of seemingly thin air.

 _Oh come on! Stupid heels!_ Ruby complained as she awkwardly avoided the arrows the mysterious woman fired at her. How the hell anyone fought in heels, Ruby would never know, but she gave any woman that could _mad_ props.

There was a hiss as the elevator doors opened and Ruby turned to see two men occupying it. One was vaguely familiar, he was the Headmaster of Atlas' Huntsman school General James Ironwood, but the other guy was a stranger. Ruby looked back at her foe with a smirk and gaped when she realized that the woman was gone.

"Wha-How?"

"Well, color me impressed." The stranger whistled, drawing Ruby's attention back to him. He stood taller than Ironwood by a good three inches (though one of those inches were due to his strange sandals) and wore what could only be described as an olive version of a stereotypical ninja's clothing, with a visible net-like shirt and pants underneath held up by a simple black belt. Olive-colored pads covered the backs of his hands and over his pajama-like top was a red vest. Long, crazy white hair covered his head and was held out of his face by a horned headband that looked like it was made of steel. Red tear-like lines fell down to his jaw from his dark eyes and a wart was visible on the side of his nose.

"This room is utterly trashed! I hardly see how this calls for being impressed, _Lord_ Jiraiya." Ironwood bit out the word 'lord' as if it burned his tongue. The man, Jiraiya, grinned at him.

"I wasn't talking about the room." Jiraiya looked back at Ruby and his grin widened slightly. Ruby held Crescent Rose up to act as a visual deterrent, her discomfort written on her face, and Ironwood groaned into his gloved hand. The action made Jiraiya guffaw.

"I should've just stayed at the Dance." Ironwood mumbled with a frown. He'd finally gotten a dance with Glynda, too. Talk about being gipped of a prime opportunity.

"Ah, but then you wouldn't have come to get me out of Vale's holding cell! And then I wouldn't have offered to help you investigate the break in." Jiraiya countered smugly. He crossed his arms over his chest. "On a side note, you've only got two more favors to repay."

" _Don't_ remind me." Ironwood grumbled as he glared at Jiraiya. He leveled a look at Ruby, who was trying to appear as insignificant as possible. "You're a student at Beacon, right? The leader of Team RWBY."

"Erm, y-yes sir...I'm Ruby Rose," she said meekly. A small wave was added. "Nice to see you again..."

"I hope for your sake that was a joke." Ironwood folded his arms firmly over his chest. "Because then I can just write it off as poor humor instead of a defensive mechanism."

"Oh, come on, Jimmy–!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to _not_ call me that?" Ironwood asked his companion with a glare. Jiraiya continued as if he hadn't just been interrupted or just insulted the Atlesian General.

"Let's get the kid back to Ozzy's Feel Good Party. I highly doubt Qrow's star student would ruthlessly assault the CCT's guards and then trash the place."

Ruby was about to agree when she caught the name the man dropped.

"You know my Uncle Qrow?" she asked. The two men looked at her and Jiraiya smirked.

"Kid, I got stories about practically _everyone's_ uncle. Including Jimmy's here."

" _Lord_ Jiraiya, you were telling me why we shouldn't have her questioned?" Ironwood asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jiraiya nonchalantly waved the General off. "Like I said, she doesn't look like the type of girl who would beat up several professionally trained soldiers without causing some excessive damage. Now if it was _my_ student..."

"Your is known to the _world_ for his mayhem." Ironwood argued.

"Psh, that's only when Naruto's _not_ trying. I'm sure Ozpin's faculty has already had some issues with finding evidence of some of his more...exciting pranks." Jiraiya mused thoughtfully.

"Like when he made Professor Goodwitch's hair green for a few days." Ruby nodded. Ironwood snapped his head over to the girl and she shrunk down to hide behind her scythe.

"He did what?"

"Probably one of the first things he did, right?" Jiraiya asked Ruby, who came a bit out of her shell as the older man spoke to her. He was _not_ as scary as General Ironwood was...but Ruby would still keep him an arm's length away.

"Yeah, that was _way_ back at the beginning of the school year." Ruby nodded again. "Everyone agrees he did it, and Naruto doesn't argue, but he also doesn't admit it."

"No evidence and no admittance means plausible deniability." Jiraiya nodded sagely. "One of my first lessons. He really took to it like a fish in water...or an Uzumaki to Ramen. Like this one time, we were travelling through Mantle–"

"Jiraiya!" Ironwood hissed with a glare. "If we're not going to question her now, then let's return her to Beacon."

Jiraiya huffed and turned his head away.

"Spoilsport."

* * *

"Do you think they're trying to become one being?" Sun asked thoughtfully as he and Blake stared at Naruto, who was dressed back up in his tux, and Yang while the two blondes heatedly made out off to the side while the rest of the room was dancing to the Foolish Fools' music choices. As soon as Naruto tore himself away from the group of fellow Vacuo natives that crowded him and his team, Yang snatched Naruto's hand and pulled him into a dipped kiss. The claim was made and many eyes glared at the blond couple; Yang because of her claim and Naruto because of his lack of resistance to it.

On a side note, Sun foresaw a few catfights in the near future, and those signs were _always_ a plus in his book.

Since then, thirty minutes had passed and Sun _swore_ neither had broken away from the kiss. Even as they maneuvered through the crowd to the table the four now sat at, the Faunus from Haven was positive that his buddy and his buddy's girlfriend hadn't broken apart.

"It honestly wouldn't surprise me." Blake mumbled lowly. She had become _far_ too accustomed to Naruto and Yang's eccentric personalities in the short time that she knew them.

"I mean, this is what? Minute forty mark?" Sun asked. He rubbed his chin. "How do you practice such a thing? Alone? With a friend?"

The last question made Naruto start and he – _very_ reluctantly – pulled away from Yang. They panted lightly, Yang having a dopey grin on her face while Naruto glared at Sun.

"What are you implying?" he asked lowly. The monkey-tailed Faunus held his hands up defensively.

"I'm not implying anything!" Sun quickly defended himself. He blinked as a thought struck him and then leaned closer to Naruto. A small grin had made itself known on the previously nervous teen's face. "Why? Are you _afraid_ of me implying something?"

"No!" The whiskered blond denied quickly, far too quickly. Blake furrowed her brow and narrowed her gaze.

"You're hiding something." She accused. Sun's grin widened slightly.

"Oh yeah he is."

"I'm not hiding _anything_!" Naruto hissed venomously. His eyes narrowed back at Blake. "Leave it, Bell."

"...Fine." Blake sat back in seeming disinterest as her arms, previously holding her head aloft, folded over her chest. Sun gave her a pout and Naruto's unnaturally angry look washed from his face. The former White Fang member gained a small, playful smirk. "I'll just ask Kurama. I'm sure he'd be open to telling me anything...for the right price."

"Oh-ho-ho! That's cruel, Blake!" Sun chuckled out while Naruto paled.

"Y-You wouldn't!" He faltered when the girl raised a challenging brow and her smirk grew just slightly. Naruto's tanned skin became chalk white. "...That's _low_ , Bell. That's real low."

"I'm a ninja, fear my ninja-tude." Blake returned coolly. Her smirk turned into a small grin when Sun burst into laughter and Naruto led his head drop into his hands. Yang, who finally came out of her make-out induced stupor, looked around the table with a confused frown on her face.

"Whoa, hold up. Did I miss something?" Yang asked. Sun's continued laughter and Blake's grin did little to answer her question, so she turned to her boyfriend. "Naruto, what'd I miss?"

"Your partner and my pen pal are double teaming me, vigorously _pumping_ me and roughly _pounding_ away at my inner walls for the glorious secret and _succulent_ treasure that resides within."

Sun fell out of his chair, his arms around his sides and tears racing down his face from his laughter. Blake's grin faltered just slightly as a faint dusting of pink appeared over her face and her amber eyes glared viciously at Naruto. It was as if her eyes had marked him as a target and to make matters even more interesting, the depressed blues belonging to Yang's boyfriend flashed a silent challenge back at the Faunus. Ignoring the contest between her boyfriend and her partner, Yang gave an insulted huff and sent a dirty look to Blake.

"And you didn't invite _me_?" She asked.

"Naruto was about to reveal one of his secrets before you snapped out of la-la land." Blake calmly returned.

"You don't know that!" Naruto protested with a frown. "Honestly, Bell, jumping to such an assumption after you display such cruelness!"

"I'll go ask Kurama, and let you deal with Coco's anger for pulling him away from Velvet." Blake challenged.

Naruto stole a glance over at the two Faunus, Fox and his self-proclaimed older sister as they talked. A grimace spread across his face and he sat up in his seat.

"You know, most people buy dinner before they try to screw someone," He said lowly. Blake's eye twitched at the vulgar implication while Yang nodded in agreement.

"Nothing in life is free," said the buxom bombshell of Team RWBY. She sent a sly look to her boyfriend. "But your little concert did knock your price down from a six-star restaurant to a five-star one."

"I guess I should either start saving or reread the folks' will." Naruto mused thoughtfully. He frowned. "Really hope they'd let me dip in to spoil significant others. I don't want to have to cut back on Ramen."

"Glad to know where I rank on your priorities list, Whisker Boy," Yang said with a smirk.

"Would you sell Bumblebee to take _me_ out to dinner at a fancy restaurant?" Naruto countered, a brow raised in question. Yang pursed her lips in thought.

"Hmm, fair point. BB _is_ my baby."

"While listening to you two barter with each other for sex is absolutely enthralling, I believe I still have a question needing to be answered." Blake reminded the couple with her dry sarcasm. Naruto scowled at her while Yang gave her an apologetic grin and held her hands up in a 'what-can-you-do?' manner.

"Sorry, Blake. We just can't help ourselves sometimes. I mean, we're a Yang-ing couple, after all."

"A bedroom storm just _waiting_ to be unleashed." Naruto nodded sagely at his own words. Yang redirected her grin at him.

"Ah, going for the translation pun, huh? Not bad, Maelstrom."

"Damn right I am, Honey."

"Focus." Blake interrupted the two before they could start another hour-long make-out session. The catlike Faunus glared at Naruto, annoyed with his casual ability to redirect conversation away from his secret with the use of lewd humor. She didn't know if Yang was aware of it or not, but her partner was definitely helping _just_ to rile Blake up.

That, and Sun was still dying from laughter on the floor beside her.

"Alright, fine," Naruto said with a groan. He sagged his shoulders and looked away. Very softly, the words left his lips and a light blush appeared on his face.

Blake's eyes shot _wide_ open and her faintly pink cheeks blossomed into full on inferno red. Yang, who did _not_ have the same acute hearing as Blake did, arched a delicate brow at the sight, and looked at her boyfriend.

"What did you tell her?" She pried. He looked at her for a moment, opened his mouth, hesitated, and then closed it.

"You're not the one who asked," Naruto said with finality. The words made Yang's jaw drop.

"Excuse me!?"

"'Loopholes are like assholes, they were made to be used in a certain way. It just depends on how you use them and if you use them well.'" Naruto kept his gaze averted from Yang, his blush slowly fading away as he did.

"What the Hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Yang asked with a glare.

"A lesson my godfather taught me." The whiskered blond answered. He, still not looking away from the banister he suddenly acquired a interest in, pointed at Blake, whose eyes had glazed over and her mouth curved upwards into a small (and just a tad _slightly_ perverted) smile. "She was the one who asked about a secret, and so did Sun, but he's preoccupied."

There was a pained wheeze followed by a chuckle from the floor.

"You, my Yangel, did not ask. You were merely in a situation which could have benefitted you greatly had I not stalled to think about how I would answer Blake's question." Naruto finally looked away from the banister and met her narrowed lilac eyes, an amused smile on his face. "Sorry, but I'm not an easy safe to crack. Where's the fun in that if you learned my deepest darkest secret so soon?"

"...There's something deeper than killing someone?" Yang asked lowly. She gave him mild credit for reusing the punny nickname as an adjective, something she felt was far more flattering than when he simply addressed her as the pun. Her lips pressed together in a pout as he chuckled lightly.

"That's only scratching the surface. There's a whole _flood_ that I'm keeping inside just for you." Naruto smirked slightly and brushed her lips with his thumb. He rose up from his seat and then adjusted his coat. "Speaking of liquids, I'm pretty sure that Sun needs something to help his throat recover and I'm feeling a bit parched from my 'little' concert. Back in a second and, uh, you might want to get Blake a napkin in case her nose bleeds."

The mischievous blond strode away after he helped the coughing Sun to his feet, leaving a pouty Yang alone with her head-in-the-clouds partner. The buxom blonde turned her attention to Blake, who was still lost in a thousand yard stare. A wave in front of the secret Faunus' face didn't snap her out of it, and neither did some finger snapping above her head in front of the bow. Yang's eye twitched.

 _Dammit, now I really want to know what he said_ , she thought sourly. If it was something so good it got the stoic _Blake_ to react so strongly, it was _definitely_ something Yang could hold over Naruto's head _forever_.

Finally, Yang settled on giving Blake a firm pinch on the arm. The Faunus jumped and hissed lowly before she clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in horror. Yang, however, grinned widely.

"I love it when you show me your wild side."

"Tell anyone, and you _die_."

* * *

"Well, now, _this_ is a party!" Jiraiya clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly as his eyes washed over the crowd. Primarily over all of the teenage girls' with revealing dresses. His gaze lingered on a redheaded beauty with a eye-drawing red dress that was far too conservative for his tastes, but certainly gave him quite the inspiration. If he was a good few decades younger...

Jiraiya prayed that if his wayward student/godson had gotten a girlfriend, it would be her. The story of Nimato and Koo Sheena – a radiant, raunchy redheaded seductress who used chains in battle and was Nimato's greatest challenge/equal in the _Ninjas of Love_ lore – was the most beloved edition and it was the tale that really brought in the female readers. The fandom was absolutely _devastated_ when both Nimato and Koo Sheena passed in the most recent release of the series, especially since Nimato and Koo Sheena passed away on the night the heir to the Fa-Pin-Fist protagonist had been born.

Jiraiya was thinking of calling the boy Rut Nao, with a pronunciation of [ruht nou] included. What? Obvious sex jokes were hilarious, and considering the activities that Jiraiya already had in mind for the next hero, it was an apt name. But there was a flaw with his story, a singular flaw that _needed_ to be fixed soon or the whole story wouldn't be finished by the time his publisher wanted it. Jiraiya lacked a primary love interest for the next hero. He had thought of making her a Faunus, to keep with the wild theme and open the suggestion of equality through subtle dialogue – seed planting via dirty novels for the win! – but didn't have any personality or a set appearance in mind.

Which is where the super pervert returned to the hope that Naruto had chosen the scarlet-haired vision of beauty. She would make a marvelous female lead! The battle hardened hourglass figure she shared with Kushi- _Koo_ _Sheena_ matched the parallel between Rut Nao and Min- _Nimato_!

A gleefully perverted giggle escaped the old man and he pulled out his handy-dandy notebook. Ironwood was giving him a look of blatant disapproval and the young cutie – who may or may not make a cameo into Rut Nao's love life, Jiraiya hadn't decided yet – gave him the same confused look that his godson gave him when they first started their training. Such a simple and pure kid...Yeah, she'd be a great addition. He absentmindedly jotted a note down before he looked back up at the redhead to finish getting her measurement estimates.

To Jiraiya's horror, a blond boy in a short, fitted dress and sneakers obscured his vision of the beauty. His eyes bled as he unintentionally ogled the teen's muscled back. The self-proclaimed super pervert recoiled as he squeezed his eyes shut. He used his fingers to form a cross in front of him and took a solid step back.

"Begone, devilish vision, leave my eyes!" His cry earned him a few odd looks, but they were all ignored. A couple of eyes widened and he vaguely recognized them belonging to students of Vacuo's Hunter Academy, where he was far more known than when compared to the other four Kingdoms' academies. Ah, the life of a living legend. Never fails to bring joy to his heart when he hears whispers about who he was.

A bit distorted by the music, three voices Jiraiya recognized simultaneously shouted at the sound of his voice: "Shut up, ya dirty old toad!"

"Ah, there they are," Jiraiya said with a smirk. He turned to Ironwood and gave a mock salute. "My children call for me, this is where we part, Jimmy!"

"Goodbye. Sir." Ironwood tightly bit out. Jiraiya laughed and turned back to the simple-minded niece of that young crow.

"It was nice to meet one of the brat's friends, but I gotta go give him a piece of my mind. See you around, Red." Jiraiya gave a quick wave before he disappeared into the crowd. How did he know this? He knew that due to Red's question directed at the young General.

"How did he disappear when he was dressed like _that_?!"

Ah, to be a master of spies. Always made the ladies stare at his departure in awe. And rage. There was also usually a thin underlying layer of rage.

* * *

"Uh, any reason you just randomly shouted like that?" Coco asked the groaning foxlike Faunus her friend was so enamored with. They were having a nice gossip session about the visitors from Haven when Kurama's tail went straight and he froze in the middle of his sentence before he shouted the insult into the air. A mental disorder was something Coco needed to be informed of before she let her friend start dating this guy.

"A-And why did Naruto and S-Sasuke shout, too?" Velvet asked. She was a tad concerned at the way Kurama pinched his nose and grumbled after he suddenly shouted.

"They did?" Coco asked, with Fox arching a brow in mild surprise. Velvet nodded and the three older students looked back at Kurama.

"Naruto's godfather is here." Kurama answered simply. He looked up at them with a frown on his face. "Which either means he's come for a visit or he's come to test us."

"And those are bad because...?" Coco fished.

"Ultimately?" Kurama sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Every female on this campus will want to kill us after he leaves."

"That's it?"

"They'll probably be able to because we'll either be too mentally exhausted from his antics or too physically exhausted from him knocking our asses around like we're training dummies."

"...H-He's not that bad is he?" Velvet asked.

"Imagine, if you will, a lonely old pervert who stays at home watching porno twenty-four-seven. Then, give that man Naruto's eccentric and boisterous personality. Got it in mind?"

The three nodded, all pale (Velvet was ghostly white) at the thought.

"That's Naruto's godfather in a nutshell." Kurama sighed.

* * *

"And what, pray tell, was _that_ about?" Haku asked his teammate with a look of bewilderment. Weiss and Neptune both had disturbed looks on their faces from Sasuke's sudden (and _rude_ ) outburst in the middle of the Haven student's story. A rude interruption from Naruto or Kurama was expected, both boys the more abrasive of their team, but from Sasuke? It was shocking.

"Oum, why? Why is he here?" Sasuke mumbled to himself as he rubbed his red face. He looked at Neptune apologetically. "I'm so sorry. That's an automatic reaction."

"To _what_?" Neptune asked. This was _way_ better than the story about the first time Sage got pranked by Sun.

"Possibly both one of the greatest novelists I've ever met and the primary example of why men _need_ to have monogamous marriages by age thirty." Sasuke's answer made Weiss furrow her brows and Neptune scratch his head, but Haku's eyes widened.

"Wait, he is here?" Haku asked. "Why would he come now? Did Naruto invite him?"

"No way. Naruto doesn't invite him to _anything_." Sasuke refuted. He threw his hands up. "The man just _knows_ where, when and how to appear to cause me misery!"

"This person sounds horrible," Weiss said with a scowl on her face. She folded her arms in front of her. "Figures that Uzumaki knows him."

"Oh, it's worse than that," Sasuke said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the white-haired girl. The raven-haired teen rubbed his face. "They're _family_."

"...That _is_ worse..."

"Weiss!" Haku admonished the heiress.

"Gotta agree with the Snow Angel on this one," Neptune said with a nod.

"Come on, he can't be that bad...After all, Naruto sings praises of his godfather's training." Haku protested.

"His godfather trains him?" Weiss asked curiously.

"That's what I've been told."

"And he only sings praises _after_ the training is done. When he's _seen_ the results." Sasuke pointed out. He shuddered. "That man is a slave driver...And I'm grateful he refuses to teach anyone else, but his _student_ won't shut up about it! I don't know about Kurama, but I feel like _I_ go through the damn torture after Naruto describes it."

"Okay, I'm with Haku on this one. It can't be _that_ bad." Neptune argued logically. "People over exaggerate _all_ the time."

Sasuke stared dryly at him.

"Naruto's own godfather threw him off a fifty foot cliff, into a crevasse that did visibly end and was about ninety feet wide."

"...You're kidding." Neptune let out a weak laugh. "Nice one."

"There were jagged rocks on either wall. Each shaped like a massive, in the idiot's own words, 'swirly cone'. They were easily thirty feet long. Possibly half that much in width."

"Oh my God, he's _not_ kidding." Weiss' eyes grew wide in horror and she thought about the day she got her scar. Even her father, as much of a stickler he was for perfection, wasn't _that_ harsh when he oversaw her lessons.

"Naruto's _semblance_ , and remember that this is the freaking stupid-powered _idiot_ we're talking about here, could _not_ break through the rocks."

"...Well, he did something. It wasn't like he died." Haku pointed out. He became a bit unnerved when Sasuke's firm stare turned his way.

"Naruto only survived the fall because he was able to multiply his durability to fifteen times that of a normal human."

"So?"

"He was only _twelve_. At that point, his body couldn't withstand the strain of that much aura. Some of his skin burnt off and he was hospitalized for a month and a half."

"...How do you know that?" Haku asked. Sasuke gingerly touched his right arm and grimaced.

"Naruto was brought in a week after we had our _big_ fight. I was still getting treatments for my arm."

"...This man _raised_ Naruto?" Neptune asked as he paled rapidly.

"Oh god no!" Sasuke grabbed at his chest and his eyes were wider than before. "Don't even – If I had to _think_ about what Naruto would be like if he was _raised_ by his godfather...I think I might kill myself. I'm not even kidding, I would _not_ want to live in a world where the idiot was raised by the Toad."

* * *

"Aha! That's your secret! You know a dirty old toad!" Yang accused. She knew it was wrong, she was just guessing now, like she had been for the past ten minutes. Yang couldn't get anything out of Blake, as her Faunus teammate would always drift off in thought with glazed over eyes whenever she thought about Naruto's secret. It invoked both envy and anger directed at her teammate, as well as a smidge of curiosity.

Just how vivid was the imagination her catty friend seemed to had?

"I _wish_." Naruto mumbled with a mild look of annoyance on his face. His eyes were narrowed and scanning the sea of hormones that were the dancegoers. What he was searching for, Yang hadn't a clue.

Blake disagreed with Naruto's wish in her slightly green face was anything to go by.

Again Yang wondered just what exactly was going through that girl's mind.

"The Toad is _here_? W-with Kurenai here?" Sun asked as he shrunk a bit in his seat.

Yang was _not_ surprised to see the monkey boy so afraid of her team's appointed mother hen. Kurenai was downright _scary_ when she was mad, and her naturally red eyes helped a _lot_ to instill fear when she was scolding someone. Yang had been on the brunt of such scolding before and after the Lunchroom incident due to a few too many PDAs she and Naruto had, so she could understand Sun's fear of the woman.

Still, it begged the question...

"The Toad?" Yang asked.

"Toad Sage," Sun said, with Blake's eyes sparkling as she joined Naruto's search.

"My godfather." Naruto replied a beat afterwards.

"Ah, okay." Yang nodded and began to think about what her boyfriend's secret could possibly – hold that thought a moment. Yang snapped her eyes over to Naruto.

"The Toad Sage is your what?" Blake and Yang asked together. The buxom blonde turned her attention back to the Faunus, whose amber eyes were bright and brimming with jealousy as they stared at Naruto in shock.

"Godfather. You know, the guy that's supposed to be your go-to in case something happens to your parents." Naruto continued to search the crowd for the Toad Sage. His lips pursed and he did a quick check behind him before he returned his gaze to the sea of hormones.

"Your godfather is the author of _Ninjas of Love_?" Blake asked.

"You know, he says that and yet _always_ tries to mooch off of me." Naruto commented thoughtfully. "So, I'm guessing he has _nothing_ to do with the construction of the novels and was just the lucky bastard whose title was chosen to conceal the true genius behind the series."

A fist buried itself into the top of Naruto's skull and an arm wrapped around his throat. Naruto had slipped a hand between his throat and his assailant's arm, so he wasn't being choked, but the attacker ground his knuckle around into the blond's skull. Yang gave the man a quick once over since she realized her beau was in no real danger. Olive colored ninja pajamas, fishnet clothes beneath, a red vest above, a simple black belt, wooden sandals, and a horned headband covered the older man's body. White hair spilled from his head in a massive, barely contained mane of spikes and the age was visible in his face...along with a wart on the side of his nose.

 _Ten bucks says that's the origin of his title._ Yang thought as she watched her boyfriend get assaulted by some strange old man.

"You _little_ ungrateful bastard! The blasphemy that spills from your _puny_ mouth is a broth of naught more than a heathen's slander, lies and poison! How the hell is a _runt_ like you supposed to take up the business after I die, ya goddamn dumbass _shrimp_!?"

"Who are ya calling a little-puny-runt-shrimp, ya dumb ol' perv!?" Naruto heatedly yelled back at his assailant. The fist grinding around in his head thumped him once before it began to grind again.

"I'm calling _you_ a little brat, ya little brat!"

"I'm _not_ little!"

"That is true in more ways than one," Yang said with a smirk. The two looked at her, stopped in their antics.

"Hel-lo beautiful. Oof!" The 'ol' perv' as Naruto called him doubled over and cradled his loins after Naruto elbowed him hard in the groin.

"She's _off-limits_ , Pervy Sage." Naruto growled at the whimpering older man.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out when you cheap shot-ed me in the nards, ya little shit!" the man hissed as tears trailed down his cheeks. He ducked back down and shuddered while Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Please, like anything down there still works after all the blows its' taken over the years." Yang winced at the burn her boyfriend dished out to his godfather, who shot to his feet in outrage.

"I'll have you know, brat, that this stud and all of his parts are still in working order!" He snarled with his hands on his hips. He smacked Naruto upside the head when the whiskered blond rolled his eyes.

"Damn Pervert." "Damn Punk."

Sun pointed between the two.

"Are we sure there's no... _relation_ here?" he asked. "You two are a lot alike. I mean, in more ways than one."

"As if I'm anything like this ol' Perv/lil' Punk!" Naruto and his godfather glared at Sun for his suggestion before they glared at each other for the insult.

 _Nope, not alike at all._ Yang thought with a grin on her face. Naruto was a riot when he was all wound up like this. The old pervert was quickly becoming one of Yang's favorite people in the world, and that list wasn't short, but it certainly was difficult as hell to get on. Making her laugh was a good way to get there, and the way her boyfriend and his godfather were butting heads definitely made that happen.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Brat? I'm not a mere pervert!"

"When you get it through your skull that I'm _not_ little, ya ol' Toad!"

"Did Naruto always have an accent?" Blake asked her laughing teammate softly as a noticeable change became apparent in Naruto's voice.

"Vacuo's a bit more diverse when it comes to language," Sun said with a shrug as his voice gained a small change, becoming a bit higher in pitch. He cleared his throat and spoke normally again. "Wandering natives developed their own language and relearned the Remnant basic we all speak. My gramps was a wanderer when he was younger and learned their language. Bet any amount of money the Toad was, too."

"Gah, and you got them all calling me 'Toad'! What kind of ungrateful brat does that!?"

"What kind of pervy old guy takes a _twelve_ -year-old into the red light district!?"

"You loved it and you know it! You're just trying to make me look bad in front of your pretty girlfriend!"

"First of all, Yang's not pretty, she's stunning." Naruto argued with a huff.

"...Alright, I'll give you that. Definitely a ten when she's all dolled up." The older man nodded. "Have to wait to see her all natural – Oof!"

Naruto lowered his arm and shook out his wrist while the man braced himself against the table and rubbed his gut.

"Secondly, like I said before, Yang is _off-limits_. Got it?" The whiskered blond growled again.

"Crystal," the man wheezed. He coughed and took Sun's punch, getting an affronted cry from the Faunus, before he downed it in one go.

"Aw, so sweet of you to protect me, Naruto, but I told you before-"

"Yang, trust me. Unless I tell him otherwise, he'd be hounding after you from the tree outside your room." Naruto cut his girlfriend off dryly. Naruto's godfather nodded and set Sun's cup down.

"It's true, I'd do it." He admitted without shame. He moved up on the list for his blunt honesty about who he is and what he is, that's admirable in Yang's book. The white-haired man pulled a chair out and plopped a squat next to his godson before he gave Yang a kinder, more natural smile, like that of a young grandfather.

"The name's Jiraiya," he said.

"Yang Xiao-Long." Yang returned.

"Ooh, I like that. Rolls right off the tongue." His notebook popped out and was scribbled in for a second before Naruto made a reach for it. Jiraiya slapped his godson's hand away and tucked the notebook back in his pocket. Well damn, now Yang wanted to know what _he_ wrote on _top_ of what Naruto's secret was.

"Well, it's nice to meet the brat's first girlfriend." Jiraiya clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Way to go, kid! I'm proud of you! First one's a knockout-!"

"He's/I've had a girlfriend before." Yang and Naruto cut Jiraiya off, the former a bit sour while the latter seemed tired of repeating himself.

"...Wait, for real!?" Jiraiya asked before he looked at Naruto. "What lies have you told this girl? Did you tell her that your heart was broken, your will to live ended until your eyes fell upon hers!? Using your gifts to wrongfully snare such a beauty..."

Tears streaming down his eyes, Jiraiya began to wipe his arm across his face as he sniffled and smiled with warbling lips.

"I've taught you so well!" he bawled.

Naruto dropped his face into his hands and let out a groan. Yang rubbed his back while she and Sun laughed and Blake smirked at his misery.

"Oum hates me, I'm sure of it."

"No he doesn't," Yang said with a smile. "This is just balance, Whisker Boy. After all, you're dating me, remember?"

"True..." Naruto mused as he started to calm down.

"Speaking of balance...Mind telling this curious old man what your BWH is?"

"You slimy ol' – What did I just say!?" Never mind.

* * *

 **AN: So enters the boisterous, powerful, hopeful and hilarious Jiraiya, quite honestly** _ **everyone's**_ **favorite master-trope character in any form of fiction. Admit it, he's the best. You know it, I know it...**

 **Everyone** _ **loves**_ **Jiraiya.**

 **On a side note: RWBY Vol. 3 comes out tomorrow! (Cue fanfare)**

 **Who isn't excited for that?!**

 **REV-IAMASUPERPERVERT!**


	21. Dogs of War

**AN: So in case some of you didn't know, Engineer4Ever (my buddy, pal, and all around nice guy) has read your pleas and cries and has begun a fantastic Reading of this story in honor of RWBY Vol. 3 (which was _amazing_ )! **

**Go to his page and check it out! Go! GO NOW!**

 **...After you read this chapter, of course.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXI: Dogs of War**

* * *

"Tell me I imagined that. That wasn't what I thought it was, was it?" Kurama asked as he stared at the door to his team's room.

The dance had ended on a high note for everyone – even though Naruto had to suffer through his godfather's antics, poor bastard. Kurama even received a sweet and quick peck from his date (which would not be told of to his teammates) after he walked her back to her dorm room. The morning after started normally – Kurama 'saw' various aura reserves in beds where they shouldn't be, felt their unease or annoyance or whatever emotion was going through their head, basically what happened after most teen attended dances. However, it was after Naruto had finished his morning rituals that they heard it. Kurama at first played it off as a trick of his ears.

But then it came again. Twice in the span of a minute was not a good sign.

"Well, maybe someone's watching a video," Sasuke said uncertainly. Rooms were supposed to be soundproofed, and they only weren't if a door or window was open. Sasuke turned to the near window and grimaced. It was opened to a crack.

"Son of a..." The raven-haired teen rose from his bed to shut the window.

"I'll go check it out if you want," Naruto said to the Faunus.

"Please do. If it is what I think it is..." Kurama growled lowly in the back of his throat while his tail swished. His knuckles whitened as his grip around his ever-present staff tightened.

"Haku, keep an eye on him." Naruto told his teammate before he stepped out and closed the door behind him. Haku arched a brow at the order and looked at Kurama.

"Care to explain?" He asked. The androgynous boy was surprised when Kurama growled at him.

"Give me cheek, Yuki, and I'll make sure that every female on campus slaps yours." Kurama waited until Haku nodded before he crossed his arms. "In Kon there's a family of _canine_ themed humans who train their pets for battle. One such owner decided to have a 'Fox Hunt'."

"...Oh my..." Haku's thoughts ran wild.

"Don't believe that load for a second," Sasuke said quickly before Haku got the wrong idea. He smirked at Kurama. "Sir Pity-Party here was just chased up a tree before he recovered from his instincts when he was a kid. The whole thing was hilarious, really. A snack landed in the back of his pants and the dog it was meant for chased him."

"Screw you, Uchiha! Like you don't know what it's like to be controlled by pure unadulterated fear and adrenaline!"

"At least I never crapped my pants when I was seven."

Kurama roared and leapt at Sasuke. His hands wrapped around the raven-haired teen's neck with the intent to choke him unconscious (or, so Haku hoped). Haku stood off to the side and watched as the two partners rolled across the floor of the room, each choking each other. It was sadly a far too common thing. Haku sighed.

 _He could've just said he's afraid of dogs._

* * *

Naruto didn't know what he expected when he was welcomed into Team RWBY's room, but seeing Bell perched on what had to be the most precarious bunk bed he'd ever seen on his life was not one of them. Nor did he expect to see the grey-furred little mammal standing at the bottom of the bunks, barking up at Blake. Two triangular ears stood alert on the dog's head and, when he stepped in, two green eyes turned toward him and another bark was given before the source of Kurama's fear leapt at him. The whiskered blond caught the corgi in the air and held him, a very lucky him who still had some parts most pet owners removed, away as the pink tongue licked the air.

"Ah-ah-ah! I've already had a shower today, thanks." Naruto denied the small dog with an amused smile. His eyes drifted over to his girlfriend and then her younger sister. "I take it this is Zwei?"

"Yep!" Ruby chirped as she plucked the corgi from Naruto's hands.

"And he's gonna stay wif us foweva and – er, I mean, ahem. Ruby and Yang's father sent that m-mangy mutt in the mail." Weiss quickly recovered as she looked away from Zwei's face. Naruto grinned and pointed at her.

"Keep an eye on those cracks in the Weiss, girls. Tell me if they get bigger," he said. Yang snickered at the mediocre pun and stepped over to her beau's side, her arm slipping around his waist while his instinctively fell over her shoulders.

"Not bad, Naruto, but you gotta up your game a bit with our precious wittwe pwincess," Yang said with a perfect imitation of Weiss' baby talk.

"I hate you both." Weiss huffed, her cheeks red.

"We bask in your hatred!" The couple declared proudly. Zwei barked eagerly and scrambled from Ruby's hands to start sniffing the newcomer. Naruto didn't mind and even parted from Yang to kneel down and start petting the corgi on the head.

"So, your dad sent him, huh? Weird how we were just talking about him last night," Naruto said with a look aimed a Ruby.

"Wow, you're right...That is a weird coincidence." Ruby nodded.

Naruto stared at her dryly and shook his head while Zwei licked his hand. He didn't _believe_ in coincidences. But, then again, he was trained by possibly the best in the business of intelligence gathering. Coincidences in that line of work usually never turned out well, and that belief was handed down from master to student.

"Well, guess you can cross Zwei off your list," Ruby said, which earned her another look from Naruto, as well as a few confused ones from her teammates. Ruby blinked. "What?"

"You're so horribly naive that it's adorkable." Naruto sighed as he got back to his feet.

"What list?" Yang asked curiously.

"A list of...Uhh..." Ruby suddenly found herself speechless as a cold chill ran up her spine. Her eyes were locked with Naruto's for only a second before flashes of horrible events went through her mind. Cookies being drained of sugar, the world's supply of ice cream running out, and all candy being outlawed...Ruby's skin turned paler, if possible. She began to tremble where she stood before he knees gave out.

"Hm, I think she's coming down from a sugar high," Naruto said with a feigned look of concern on his face. He was _not_ going to let Yang tease him over getting her father, uncle and _dog_ 's approval. Not when she was already so Hell bent on learning the secret he told Blake the other night. Speaking of Blake... Naruto shifted his gaze to the Faunus.

"Why are you hiding up there, Bell?" Blake turned her attention toward him.

"I'm not hiding." She robotically denied.

"Yeah, sure, and I'm no longer addicted to Ramen." Naruto scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"That'll be the day," Weiss said with a snort. She knelt down and began to coo at and pet Zwei while the others were distracted.

"To be precise, the day an Uzumaki denies Ramen is the day that Remnant ends. So it has been prophesized, so it shall be," Naruto said while he kept his gaze locked with Blake.

"...I actually believe that." The Faunus dryly returned.

"At least you're honest there."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think I mean?" Naruto asked. A smirk spread across his face and Blake paused for a few seconds before her face turned red. She ducked down out of sight.

"Not funny, Naruto."

"How do you think I feel?"

Yang looked between the two and pouted.

"Hey, if you guys are going to flirt, the least you could do is let me in on it!" She complained. Blake turned a darker shade of red while Naruto gave her apologetic look.

"Sorry, Hon," he said. Yang glanced at him and smirked.

"Okay, I like that one," she said. Her arms slowly wrapped around his waist. "Sounds mature. Very sexy."

"Yeah? I can do mature." Naruto's voice became a bit huskier and his hands settled on her hips. They leaned closer to each other and –

"Zwei, Yang's breaking Dad's dating rule!"

Naruto was suddenly tackled into the hallway by a canine missile. Yang glared at Ruby for getting Zwei to attack her boyfriend right when they were about to make out, and Ruby smirked proudly back at her.

"No kissing boys in the house."

"We're not at home and Dad's not even here!"

"Zwei doesn't care. He's trained too well." Ruby pointed out victoriously.

"He's a good dog." Weiss agreed, a smirk on her face as she watched Zwei assault Naruto's face with vicious licks.

"Gah, get him off-oh gross, he slipped me tongue!" Naruto audibly gagged while Yang and Ruby argued over where their house rules needed to be applied. Blake grimaced in Naruto's defense while Weiss sided with Ruby. What was really horrible about the situation was that none of the four girls moved to save the whiskered teen from Zwei's affection as they all got sucked into defining where Yang's PDA was allowed. By the time they did, they found Zwei hogtied by some sort of wire and panting happily without a care in the world while a sticky note was taped to his forehead.

Yang plucked the note from Zwei's head and furrowed her brows as she read it.

"'Dear Girls, decided to go join my team. Sorry about Zwei, but he likes me. A lot. See you around – Love you, _Honey_. Naruto.' Aww...such a sweetheart."

"Is that all it says?" Weiss asked as she and Ruby worked on the knot keeping Zwei's legs bound. The heiress' brows furrowed in frustration when she found _another_ knot beneath the first. "What the heck – how did he do this while we weren't looking?"

"Oh, there is more." Yang mused as she flipped the note over. "'P.S.: I do a lot of things when you're not looking, Sneeze.'"

"...How did he know I was going to–?"

"'P.P.S.: I am a ninja. Fear my ninja-tude.'" Yang frowned. "Okay, I don't get it."

"You had to be there." Blake smirked in amusement.

* * *

Three men occupied the clock tower of Beacon, each a good distance from the other and all seemingly at peace. Seemingly, like the world they lived in. They represented their kingdoms well. Atlas' iron façade of strength and militaristic order present in the General's posture and gaze. Vale's cheerful mask of professionalism while calculating possible outcomes could be seen in Professor Ozpin's small smile as he poured himself a fresh cup of tea. And to top it off, Jiraiya displayed Vacuo's common guise well as he feigned disinterest in the situation and simultaneously drawing attention to himself while he went through his notes.

Really all they needed was someone from Mistral trying to find their tells in an effort to 'win' and there'd be a full set in one room.

"So...hearing Ms. Rose's testimony, what do you two think?" Ozpin broke the silence before he lifted his tea to sip from it.

"Honestly? That girl is going to wind up marrying the first guy she genuinely falls in love with, and knowing the universal balance of such a thing, the guy is going to be all around nice dude, if a bit quiet. My money's on a wannabe author," Jiraiya said with a smile. A super pervert he was, but he was also a hardcore romantic. To preserve such innocence, he decided that 'Rosie Rube' was going to be a fantasy cameo; someone Rut Nao would dream about, but not touch.

It was still going to be steamy as fuck, but not an actual 'fling'.

The 'moe' fans would absolutely adore it, though.

Ozpin choked on his drink and Ironwood clapped his hand over his eyes. Jiraiya frowned at their reactions. Everyone presumed so little of him once they found out he was a proud pervert. Honestly, the most they could do is be grateful that he acknowledged it. Jiraiya was certain that he would be _worse_ if he tried to deny his debauchery.

Speaking of debauchery, he _had_ to set up some sort of camera system in his godson's room. There was no way the boy wasn't playing 'footie' his bombshell of a girlfriend behind closed doors. Yes, yes, he knew that Naruto proclaimed her to be off-limits, and Jiraiya respected such a request, but the boy _had_ to know that he himself was going to be inspiration for the series, right?

Then again, he _is_ Minato's son. That damned fool of an apprentice didn't know or recognize that a girl was smitten with him until she walked up, grabbed him by the balls in the public square of Kon, and told everyone flat out: "This is mine! This is where my babies will come from!"

Coincidentally, Kushina Uzumaki was a very brash and blunt woman, and _very_ persuasive when she was angry or emotional about something.

That wasn't to say Minato didn't have a temper, he was far more _tactical_ than his beloved wife.

Jiraiya shivered. He could still remember the day that he'd foolishly gone against Minato's 'request' of not spying on Kushina. Minato wasn't pleased and got his revenge. (Oh, _boy_ , did he get his revenge!) Thinking about it made Jiraiya downright horrified.

Let's just say Naruto's creative use of household items and/or food in his pranks did _not_ come from his mother's side of the family.

With his thoughts returning to his Godson, Jiraiya began to stroke his chin. The boy's claim of having prior experience with the opposite sex was something Jiraiya always believed to be true – this was _his_ godson he was talking about here – but the significant lack of evidence was disconcerting to the super pervert. There was also a lack of any signs of sexual repression, but Jiraiya attributed that to Naruto's warrior spirit being far stronger than his lust. However, like a coiled spring, some things could not be contained forever. Eventually something will give way, but at this rate, that would take _years_.

 _That boy's repressed needs and desires will build and build until finally he can stand no more! He'll ravish the first beauty in sight and I will, no,_ must _be there to capture it for the good of my nov-er, legacy! But how do I anticipate such a natural reaction? Hmm, well, I could have him write another chapter for me, or edit one. Oh! Better idea! I could take him to a strip clu-!_

"Lord Jiraiya!" Ozpin's disapproving tone snapped Jiraiya from his thoughts on how he was going to influence his godson more than he already had.

"What?" Jiraiya asked in mild annoyance.

"Do not speculate about my students in such a manner!" Ozpin scowled at the man. He was so grateful that Glynda was not present. The last thing he needed was to have _another_ incident between Jiraiya and Glynda.

"You asked what I thought, Ozzy." Jiraiya shrugged and tucked his notebook away. He folded his arms over his chest and smirked at the headmaster. "I gave you an answer."

"...Quite." Ozpin's nostrils flared briefly before he looked at the Atlesian. "General?"

"The girl wasn't lying." Ironwood simply replied. His eyes narrowed. "And we certainly aren't getting closer to finding out who's behind the unity between the Fourth War and the White Fang. Supplying them with Atlas' stolen and replicated technology..."

"James..." Ozpin warned his friend.

"What we need is some unnatural luck that turns a normal situation into a disaster," Jiraiya said. He tapped his chin and a small grin spread across his face. "You know, that girl sort of reminds me a lot of someone I know who tends to have that sort of luck. I think I have an idea that could help you find what you're looking for."

Ozpin and the General shared a wary look before they turned back to the older man.

"If you have any information that could help us-" Ironwood began.

"Oh, cool your jets, Jimmy. I've got a lead I want to follow, but I think I'll need some help on the way." Jiraiya gave a pointed look to Ozpin.

"...Well, I'm sure their, ahem, mother hen wouldn't mind a day to spend with his fiancé," Ozpin said neutrally.

"Alright then, I'll go get a Bullhead ready. Maybe a radio." Jiraiya hummed in thought before he burst into laughter and walked out of the office. "Yeah right! Me? With a radio?"

The door slid shut behind him and Ironwood turned to his friend and fellow headmaster.

"Have I ever told you how much I _despise_ that man?" the Atlesian asked. The Beacon headmaster sighed.

"Many, many times."

"Let me say it once more: I utterly and completely _loathe_ that man." Ironwood sighed. "But damn if he isn't good at what he does."

Ozpin arched a brow. "Are you talking about his information gathering skills or his writing skills?"

"...Either?"

"Well, at least we're agreed on that." Ozpin sighed. A beat passed. Ironwood shifted uncomfortably and looked to the side.

"Are you caught up on the series yet?" The question made the Beacon headmaster hesitate.

"...Yes."

"He's going to start the next one soon."

"Indeed."

Ironwood drummed his fingers and then sighed as he looked at the slightly perturbed man seated across from him.

"We're not horrible people, are we, Ozpin?"

"I certainly hope not."

"I mean, he is technically that boy's godfather and he's got more sway than we do, right?"

"Of course."

"And the identities are protected, aren't they?"

"...Ahem, y-yes, yes they are. Usually."

There was another moment of silence, before Ozpin broke it.

"You don't think he'd...?"

"No! No, I mean, it's his godson!"

"Right, right, of course. Just a moment of brief concern."

"Understandable."

"...Still..."

* * *

Naruto shifted uncomfortably as he and his team sat waiting patiently for their Bullhead to take off. Asuma had cut them all off on their way to the meeting room, saying that they had been handpicked by a supervisor for a specific mission that he didn't give them _any_ details about. Now, Naruto wasn't afraid of surprises, hell, he wasn't really afraid of anything really – That is, if you didn't count his phobia of ghosts (What? Years of growing up alone in a small and old apartment, as well as a lack of parental love and/or protection from such 'terrors' had done well to turn what was a childish fear into a very paralyzing phobia. Was it embarrassing? Yes. Did Naruto really care? No. He was brown-pants-required afraid of ghosts, and while he had accepted it, it still didn't change the fact that he couldn't punch a ghost square in the face.) – But if you were going to be a Huntsman or Huntress, the one thing you wanted more than anything else before a mission started was information _about_ the mission.

Needless to say, not having any information was rattling Naruto's nerves a tad.

It didn't help that he wasn't the only one on edge.

"I can't believe they have a _mongrel_." Kurama grumbled with a scowl. His lip was curled up in a snarl and he glared daggers at Naruto, his sunglasses flashing red every other few seconds. His nose crinkled up in disgust. "You smell absolutely _disgusting_."

"Thank you." Naruto replied snidely.

"Please don't fight." Haku tiredly requested from where he sat on Kurama's left while Sasuke and Naruto sat opposite them. It had taken him a good few minutes to pry their Faunus teammate off of the lightning user when the latter started to turn blue.

"Whatever." "Wasn't planning to."

"Ah, good boys! You all got here on time without killing each other. I knew you'd start to grow up sooner or later."

Naruto froze, now as pale as Ruby's skin was when he heard the voice of not an old pervert, but of an experienced warrior. Robotically, he turned to see the grinning face of his godfather standing outside of the bullhead. A shiver went down Naruto's spine and he swallowed. Jiraiya's presence didn't bode well for him, and it wasn't because he knew the man would pump him for information on Emerald and Yang.

"Old Toad." Sasuke and Kurama greeted coolly.

"Fanboy. Kit." Jiraiya nodded at them and smirked when they glared at him. He plopped down in the seat next to Haku. His arm draped over the back of Haku's seat and he grinned.

"How ya doin' beautiful?"

Naruto's worry left him and he joined his friends in grinning while his partner sighed in dismay. If there was one thing he loved about having a shameless lecher for a godfather, it was his inability to pass up a chance to flirt. Something that really put a knot in Sun's tail when Jiraiya turned his attention to Blake, considering Yang was off-limits. Blake, however, was crossed between being flattered and disgusted, and the latter increased once Naruto informed Jiraiya of her fondness for his work. Why was she not flattered? Well, Jiraiya asked if she wanted to help him work on the next one personally. Alone. In his hotel room.

He got a smack on the face for his effort.

"I'm a boy." Haku corrected the old man before he made any further advances.

Jiraiya squinted and leaned uncomfortably close to Haku's face, disregarding the meaning of the words 'personal space' and making the androgynous boy shift in his seat. Naruto, Sasuke and Kurama got to watch Haku squirm for a solid three minutes before he was given some relief when Jiraiya moved away.

"...Huh, I'll be damned. So you are." Jiraiya mused lightly as he moved one seat away from the girly-boy. "Sorry about that, usually I can spot a fem-boy."

"You're an ol' fart, Pervy Sage." Naruto snorted and smirked as he slumped down in his seat. "Eyes must be going bad."

"Shut up, pipsqueak." Jiraiya glared at him.

"To be fair, Sasuke couldn't tell either." Kurama added nonchalantly. Sasuke glared at the smirking Faunus.

"Shut it, Fox."

"Payback's a bitch, Uchiha."

"Alright, alright, settle down, brats." Jiraiya waved at the two partners to keep them in their seats. He leaned back and knocked on the metal. "Hey, fly guy, you ready to go or what?"

" _Ready and waiting, Lord Jiraiya_ ," the pilot said in return.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going already!"

" _Coordinates, Sir?_ "

"Ah, right." The Sage chuckled sheepishly and pulled out his scroll. The engines of the Bullhead started up and the four students remained quiet as Jiraiya listed off the coordinates of their destination. Naruto furrowed his brows when Jiraiya finished. This was one of those times he wished he paid a tad bit more attention in Kon Academy. He had _absolutely_ no idea where they were going.

Jiraiya turned back to the boys and smirked.

"So, it's going to be a while before we get there." The old man began. He put his scroll away and pulled out his notepad, grinning at the four teens. "Who wants to pass the time by telling me when my beloved godson popped his girlfriend cherry?"

Any concern of Naruto's lack of knowledge on their mission flew out the window as outrage filled him like a burning liquid.

"I've had a girlfriend before Yang, dammit!"

"It's true." Kurama nodded. He smirked and sat forward. "In fact, she's some unknown girl who snuck into Haven."

"Ooh, saucy...Tell me more, Kurama." Jiraiya giggled out. Sasuke smirked and Haku chuckled lightly while Naruto groaned into his hand. He was right: Jiraiya was going to use him for inspiration.

"Well, apparently it all began after you brought him back to finish his schooling..."

"You sly little bastard...Give me details, skin, hair, eyes, breasts, ass, leave nothing out!"

Naruto covered his face in shame as his godfather and teammate began to have an excited conversation about his ex-girlfriend right in front of him. Haku moved to sit on his other side and give him a comforting pat on the shoulder (as well as escape being between the two deviants) while Sasuke pulled his Scroll out and began to play a game he'd installed on it. The whiskered blond only hoped that this mission was as exciting as most of his adventures with Jiraiya were.

Then he'd be able to forget this moment and hopefully, his team did, too.

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, this chapter was short, I know. Sorry. Misleading, but it is what it is. Did you enjoy it?**

 **Yes?**

 **No?**

 **Well tell me about it...**

 **But first, be in awe of Engineer4Ever and I's Reading** _ **Veritas Aequitas'**_ **Intro titles!**

 **The song, for your information, is "Whispers in the Dark" by Skillet, but chopped at certain times: (0:00-0:30) and (1:44-3:21). So basically, if you have the song playing and read the parts that _aren't_ lyrics, you can imagine the intro.**

* * *

[During the piano intro, scenic shot of Beacon is taken that becomes negative upon zooming. The negative coloring corrects itself when the camera flies past Naruto, flipping sharply to zoom in on his hands, clasped tightly around his parents' wedding bands during the song's whispered opening.]

[" _Despite the lies that you're makin' / Your love is mine for the takin' / My love is just waitin' / To turn your tears to Roses!_ "]

[A hard guitar riff starts as Naruto's eyes snap open. It continues, flashing by profile shots of Kurama, Haku and Sasuke, before the chorus begins.]

[" _No_ / _You'll never be alone_ / _When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars_ / _Hear the whispers in the dark_ / _No_ / _You'll never be alone_ / _When darkness comes, you know I'm never far_ / _Hear the whispers in the dark!_ "]

[During the chorus, Naruto grins while he and Kurama spar in plain hand-to-hand. He gets hip tossed and Haku offers a hand down to help him up while Sasuke tags him and jumps into the square with the smirking Faunus. His landing dissolves into a kick onto a Beowolf's head, with Haku rushing in from behind to deliver a blow to the stomach. The Beowolf goes flying and changes with another dissolve into Naruto, who slams into a wall and forces himself back to his feet as the chorus comes to a close.]

[An instrumental with a wailing guitar begins and images of scenes flash by, including Naruto and Yang's first meeting/flirting while they grinned at one another; Blake casually brushing past Naruto, Kurama and Sasuke; Weiss and Kurama butting heads while Naruto and Ruby tried to pull them away; Haku putting a hand on Jaune's shoulder while Nora hangs from Sasuke's, Pyrrha and Ren smiling in the background. The screen went black and the instrumental faded before the chorus repeated.]

[" _No_ / _You'll never be alone_ / _When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars_ / _Hear the whispers in the dark_ / _No_ / _You'll never be alone_ / _When darkness comes, you know I'm never far_ / _Hear the whispers in the dark!_ "]

[As the chorus repeats, the four boys are standing shoulder-to-shoulder while they face off against shadowy figures covered with red mushroom clouds. Split-screen face offs were shown next. Sasuke's eyes sparked with black lightning arcing over his body while he glared at a figure that opened white and red eyes with commas in them. Kurama's sunglasses flashed red and he tightened his grip on his staff as a toothy grin was sent to him. Haku's eyes narrowed firmly as he lifted a white mask up towards his face as a beautiful woman's face turned into a frown. Naruto grinned in challenge and his eyes turned gold before the camera goes back to the towering figures, the one across from Naruto gaining purple and rippled eyes.]

[Aura burned around the boys as they leapt at the shadows, with Naruto in the lead, while the song finished on a hard guitar solo.]

* * *

 **AN: ...I think I peed a little. You gotta admit, that's pretty cool.**

 **Tell me your thoughts, my readers!**

 **Oh, and uh, Team NHKS' mission will become clear in the next chapter, which will be longer than this one. And probably not be because of author notes.**

 **REV-INTHEDARK!**


	22. Heirloom

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **. Nor do I have any right to the**

 ** _Tremors_ franchise.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXII: Heirloom**

* * *

"That flight was way too _long_ , this'd better be worth it, Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted over the roar of the engine as he and his team disembarked from the Bullhead behind Jiraiya. His eyes squinted when the harsh sunlight assaulted them, only relaxing when he lifted a hand up to shield them.

"Well if you had decided to _partake_ in the conversation it would've gone faster for you, Brat." Jiraiya huffed, ignoring the stink eye that his godson gave him in return. He sent a grin over his shoulder at his followers. "Ah, where's your sense of adventure gone, Naruto? Don't tell me that you've started to convert into a scholar!"

"That's like saying Kurama is going to go into priesthood!" Sasuke sent a smirk to the Faunus.

"Fuck you, Uchiha!"

" _Lord Jiraiya._ " The Bullhead pilot called from his vehicle's PA system. " _I'm going to have to head over to Shade to refuel, it's closer than Vale is, at this point._ "

"That's fine. Be back here tomorrow by noon!" Jiraiya called back.

The pilot gave him a thumbs up before the Bullhead rose up and flew off. The four teens who'd watched the interaction looked around their landing location. For a few miles there was nothing but desert, and beyond that, to the south at least, there was a mountain range. To the east, another mountain range. And to the west, yet a third mountain range. The northern area was pretty clear, but still, there was a lot of desert.

"...He's brought us here to die." Kurama deduced. He grimaced. "Shit, if I'd thought I was going to die today, I would've at least tried to kiss Vel first."

"So there _is_ something between you and Velvet." Sasuke accused with a smirk.

"...Oh, damn, I forgot you guys had worse hearing than I do." Kurama grumbled. He'd thought the Bullhead's engines would still cover his musing. The Faunus glared at his teammates and held a finger up, surprisingly not his middle one. "One peep of this to _anyone_ – including _your_ unholy female duplicate."

Naruto pursed his lips in mild annoyance when Kurama gave him a pointed look. Why did _everyone_ insist on saying that? He wasn't into self-cest, but the similarities between himself and his girlfriend were admittedly high. _Hm, on second thought, if Yang had whiskers on her cheeks and blue eyes instead of lilac... Meh, I prefer her personality. The hot body is just a bonus._

Jiraiya had an urge to cry in pride again, but withheld from doing so.

" – And I'll make sure that the _rumor_ starts again." Kurama finished his threat.

"How exactly do you plan on doing that?" Sasuke asked challengingly. "We destroyed the negatives, blackmailed the others into silence, and even hid the original photograph in a secure facility where it would be watched over by top men."

"...Who?" Haku asked. Sasuke and Naruto turned to him.

"Top. Men." The words were stern and forceful, telling Haku to drop the matter. When they looked back at Kurama, a picture was held up and the two rivals paled considerably. Haku stared at the picture in shock and Jiraiya whipped out his notebook.

"You guys are an inspiration all on your own! The fans of homosexual erotic-er, romance will lose their shit over this!" The super pervert mumbled to himself.

In the picture were Naruto and Sasuke, possibly ten or twelve, in a classroom. A crowd of girls were in the background, all horrified. The two boys, the focus, had wide eyes filled with disgust, shock, and horror. Why?

Their lips were pressed together.

"You may have gotten rid of most of the copies...but I made duplicates of the negatives." Kurama finished with a smirk. He folded the picture up and tucked it into his jacket.

"You..." Sasuke failed to find a proper insult that wouldn't come off as racist.

"...Fuzzy-assed bastard." Naruto, however, did not have that problem.

"I try." Kurama smirked proudly as Haku looked between the two.

"...I feel as though I'm missing some context here..." He mumbled. Dark brows furrowed together as he looked between his two other teammates. "...Did you two mean to-?"

"No! It was an accident!" Naruto and Sasuke heatedly denied, glaring daggers at the now nervous Haku.

Behind them Jiraiya scribbled furiously into his notepad. This was literary gold! He was going to make a fuckin' mint off of the insinuated love triangle he was developing. Jiraiya almost giggled, but then a faint whisper passed through his head, reminding him of his duty and the reason why the five of them were so far from the school. He sighed.

Stupid voices being right.

"Okay, that's enough. We can tease the lovers here later." Jiraiya flipped his notebook shut and ignored the heated glares he received from his godson and the raven-haired boy. Jiraiya turned and pointed to the south. "Off we go, to our mission's destination. Allons-y!"

Jiraiya burst into a light run and was followed immediately by Kurama and Haku. Naruto and Sasuke lingered behind, their eyes twitching in annoyance.

"Naruto. I'm going to kill your godfather."

"Get in line. You can skin Kurama while you're waiting."

"Hopefully he hasn't told anyone." That snapped Naruto from his funk. He swallowed nervously as he glanced at his still seething teammate/friend/rival.

"Y-Yeah. Right...Let's go catch up before they leave us behind."

"Good idea."

* * *

About fifteen minutes into their run, a distant town came into view. Jiraiya told them that the town was named 'Rejection', originally a Faunus settlement that slowly grew into fame after the Faunus Rights' War. Today, it was a near ghost town (Naruto did his best to _not_ shiver at the mention of his one paralyzing fear), with very few inhabitants of both species, Human and Faunus, living in peace. According to Jiraiya they were here to deal with a Grimm problem, but Naruto found one issue with dealing with this supposed Grimm problem.

There had been no sign of any Grimm for _miles_.

Seriously, not one of the five Huntsmen had caught sight of a single Nevermore, a Deathstalker, or even any Creeps! This is extremely worrying since Creeps could be seen wandering around in packs through the vast desert of Vacuo. The bipedal Grimm were thought to be more accustomed to dry locations than the other known species on Remnant. Even more so than Deathstalkers, who could be found hiding beneath Vacuo's sands, but preferred cooler environments.

Naruto was about to say something when Jiraiya held a hand up and stopped. Team NHKS followed suit and each teen tried to regain their breath during the short break.

"So, Pervy Sage, why'd we stop?" Naruto asked once he got the wind back in his sails.

Jiraiya shushed him and slowly craned his head around. If not for the mane of white locks that fell from the old man's head, the four boys would've seen that his eyes had closed and his nose had gotten a bit larger as well as gained a few more warts. The difference quickly vanished when his eyes snapped open.

"Nobody move!" He hissed, Naruto strained to hear him. The teens were still for a moment before they felt it. The ground rumbled lightly and to their immediate left there was a spout of dust, like water from a whale's blowhole.

"What the f-?"

"I said shut it!" Jiraiya glared at Sasuke. He turned his attention to the ground. "Watch the dirt."

A mound that spanned over six feet in width slowly rose and fell as it started to circle the five Huntsmen. Naruto grit his teeth in annoyance and felt a bead of sweat form at the side of his head. The mound vanished and near Kurama's feet, the dirt shifted slightly. Jiraiya glared at Kurama, keeping him in place.

"Don't. Move." The older man mouthed. He pressed a finger to his lips and then moved his eyes down to the dirt.

From the ground emerged a filthy snake-like creature, red in color, with yellow horns sprouting from what Naruto assumed to be the top and bottom of its mouth. His thoughts were confirmed when the creature opened the mouth, revealing dozes of sharp white teeth and gave a small hiss-like shriek before it began to slither around. Naruto twitched his hands and the creature shifted away from Kurama's foot. Two more of the creatures popped from under the dirt and moved towards the blond.

"What are-?" Naruto began to whisper, only to stop when the creatures hissed and 'looked' at him. It was hard to tell when they didn't have eyes. One moved closer to his foot and he lifted it out of instinct. The two others hissed and moved to investigate. Naruto grimaced when Jiraiya glared at him. It wasn't _his_ fault the damn things were so weird!

They were also covered in a mix of dirt and some kind of slime.

Gross.

Naruto kept his foot up and tried not to wobble. The slimy snakes slithered around the area where his foot was for another moment before they began to slowly retreat into the ground. Naruto, relaxing, let his foot drop back to the ground.

The snakes shot out of the sandy dirt with loud hissing. Haku and Sasuke acted on reflex, their weapons coming alive as they fired dust crystals at the snakes. One head was sliced from the body immediately, and the other had a few new holes in its side. The last and the injured shrieked loudly as they retreated.

"Oh, dammit, you idiots! Don't your teachers teach you anything!?" Jiraiya groaned lowly under his breath.

The mound returned between the four teens and started to rise up, further and further, before the ground broke and Team NHKS jumped away, Naruto officially cut off from his group. He could only stare at what had done the deed.

A massive black _worm_ emerged from the mound. It had a white beak-like mask on its face, designed with red and yellow lines that seemed faded or caked in dirt. White spikes protruded from its back and sides. The beak – comprised of a large single solid top, a skinny bottom, and two mandibles that extended out from the bottom – opened and a loud roar escaped the Grimm's mouth. The worm fell forward, facing Naruto, and from its open beak, the three slimy snakes slithered out.

"...They're tongues!" Haku exclaimed from behind the creature. Naruto slammed his fists together and his gauntlets unfolded out over them. The sound made the worm roar again before it trudged forward and dove into the ground. Naruto shifted around, turning and looking for signs of the new foe.

"Naruto, do _not_ move!" Jiraiya called from where he stood. "Don't you fuckin' _breathe_!"

Naruto balled his hands into fists. This was like some sort of cheesy horror film. He was not going to die at the hands of some sort of wormy Grimm!

"Screw that! C'mon, you fat son of a-!" Naruto's taunt was cut off as the ground exploded beneath him and he was launched into the air. The worm roared again as he was swallowed whole.

In hindsight, ignoring the older and more experienced Huntsman was probably one of Naruto's dumbest mistakes of his life.

Right up there behind losing his v-card without a condom.

As he was swallowed into the worm's giant-ass mouth, Naruto could only think: _Yang is so not going to believe this_.

* * *

"Naruto is so not going to believe this." Yang mumbled to herself with a smile as she and her team explored the ruins of Vale's failed expansion of Mountain Glenn. Leading them was the hyperactive Zip Master, as Naruto dubbed him, Prof.-er, _Dr_. Oobleck. The caffeinated Huntsman was currently explaining the benefits of Zwei's presence to their objective.

"Ruby would make him proud." Blake agreed with a small smile as their leader lied her heart out as to why she brought Zwei along. She was currently standing slightly behind Yang, but close enough to grab her in a moment's notice.

"I can't believe the two of you are siding with him... _again_. He's not even here!" Weiss argued with a small huff. She had no qualms about Zwei's presence, of course, but the fact Yang and Blake were encouraging Ruby to lie to their teacher and using Naruto as a supportive reason, was mind-boggling to her.

"Well, I _am_ his girlfriend...So, what's _your_ excuse, Blake?" Yang asked, a brow raised as she looked at her partner.

"...We're both ninjas," Blake said stoically. She smirked when Weiss gave her a dry stare.

"Really?"

"You're just jealous of our Ninja-tude."

"...Ugh..." Weiss groaned as she palmed her face.

"Is that what his secret is?" Yang fished eagerly. Blake's smirk vanished slightly and her cheeks turned pink.

"No."

"Dammit." Yang frowned and crossed her arms. She pursed her lips. "...Did you two have drunk sex or something?"

"When would we have ever done that?" Blake asked lowly.

"Well, you were in the White Fang and moving around..." Yang trailed off as Gambol Shroud's sharp tip pressed against her chin.

"Not here. Not so loud. And for your information Yang, not that it's any of your business, but I haven't done ... _that_ with anyone yet. Are we clear?" Blake hissed with narrowed and angry eyes.

"Like a crystal."

"Good." Blake huffed and sheathed her weapon. Yang waited a moment before she grinned.

"So, why has no one pet the _pussy_ yet? Waitin' for the right stud to _monkey_ around with?"

"...Weiss, hold her down."

"Oh-ho-ho! Kinky. Shame we don't have a camera. Think of the intake from those sales."

* * *

 _I feel as though I'm missing something amazing right now._ Jiraiya thought to himself with a frown as he and his godson's team followed the Grimm worm that had just eaten Naruto. They remained still, shocked by the sudden devouring of the whiskered blond, as the worm dove into the ground. They were snapped from their shock when they saw the mound speed _away_ from them despite the negative emotions they were most likely emitting. Jiraiya had an idea as to why.

"What the hell is this thing?" Kurama asked in annoyance.

"If my guess is right, something that should _not_ still exist," Jiraiya said. He scowled as the mound dropped and the worm dove several feet under the dirt. "Oh come on, what is it doing now?"

They felt the ground rumble and looked down. No rising dirt, but what was-?

A public access speaker squealed the life and Kurama's hands clapped over his ears.

"Gah – son of a bitch! Motherfu – I hate PA systems!"

" _Get to the rocks!_ " A male voice called over the PA. " _Jiraiya, get those boys on the giant ass rocks!_ "

"...Bunner, you ol' paranoid bastard, I could kiss you." Jiraiya mumbled. He looked to the three teens. "You heard the voice of our savior! Go to the rocks!"

"What about Naruto?" Haku asked.

"He'll be fine...I think." Jiraiya grimaced at the thought of something horrible happening to his godson. Kushina and Minato would return from the grave to kick his ass. Shaking the thought from his mind, the older Huntsman led the three boys to a nearby gathering of giant rocks, which they jumped onto. They scoured the land for any sign of the subterranean Grimm, and just when they'd given up hope, there was a massive explosion of dirt about fifty feet in front of them.

The Grimm's head fell out of the sky and landed just beside the rocks. A putrid odor escaped the Grimm's corpse and more body parts landed around them. Kurama had already ripped the hem of his shirt to cover his face, not caring if his stomach was exposed.

"Ugh, god, they smell like shit." Kurama groaned. He swallowed down the bile that threatened to escape his throat.

"Yeah they do." Sasuke agreed with a gag. He looked around. "Well...Guess we better start looking for pieces...I'll let you tell Yang her boyfriend's dead, Haku."

"Sasuke!" Haku glared at the teen.

"I was just kidding, geez." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "The idiot is _way_ too stubborn to die. Besides, it isn't like this is the first time that this happened."

"It wasn't funny."

"I thought it was funny." Sasuke muttered to his partner. The Faunus was too distracted by his desire to control his bodily functions to respond.

"Okay, you've all had your fun." Jiraiya chuckled as he hopped down from the rock they stood on. He pointed at a distant glowing form, hard to make out because of the sun's rays. "Let's go make sure he's fine before we do anything else."

"Right...In the meantime, mind telling us who our 'savior' was? I want to give them a big kiss of gratitude for introducing me to such a lovely smell." Kurama grumbled as he jumped away from the slowly dissolving carcass pieces.

The four began to walk before Haku looked alarmed.

"Wait, what do you mean this isn't the first time this happened?"

* * *

"...out...light...Stay out of the light, boy! Get away from the light! Live, damn you, live!"

These were the words Naruto slowly awoke to. That and an annoying pounding on his chest. There was a sharp clack and a soft hum, like something was charging up. Naruto's brows furrowed. Why did he know that sound? It sounded like a...like a...

"Clear!"

Defibrillator!

"No!" Naruto's eyes snapped open, his hands shot up to catch the wrists of his would be shocker. Blue eyes stared into manic brown for a moment before the latter closed and a sigh escaped their owner. He was an older gentleman, in his late sixties to early seventies. A tan cap with the words "Amend This" around a reticule sat on his head. The man was dressed oddly, like one would expect of a Huntsman; he wore practical desert camouflage and a tanned utility vest over the top. Aviator sunglasses hung from his collar and a greying moustache covered his upper lip like a dying caterpillar.

"Oh, thank the almighty. I was afraid I'd have to actually perform open-heart surgery. Would've taken a few minutes so it would've been for naught, but still, had to try."

"...I'm glad you didn't." Naruto mumbled. He lowered his arms and winced, turning his attention to the right limb. A thick white bandage was wound from his knuckles to his elbow. "What the...?"

"Graboid stomach acid, a mix of the meanest chemicals you'll ever encounter. Eats through everything. Metal, flesh, bone..." The man sighed and pat Naruto on the shoulder. He looked over to Naruto's left and then back at the blond. "Had to remove your weapons before they completely ate through your arm. A few drops got to the right, but they'll heal soon enough. Sorry about your Sluggers, kid. Those were a practical innovation for a close combatant like you. Ugly as sin though, your first craft?"

"Y-Yeah..." Naruto mumbled. He looked to the side where the man had glanced and grimaced. What were his powerful, brick-like behemoth of gauntlets were now two puddles of orange smears. That acid had to be something if it ate through his gauntlets like that. The last time he got eaten by something that big they hadn't even taken a dent!

"Ah, good, the cavalry's here." The old guy stood up and folded his hands behind his back. "Jiraiya, always a pleasure."

"Bunner, you paranoid sonovabitch, you didn't say anything about a goddamn Graboid in the area! I thought you said they were extinct!" Jiraiya growled. Naruto looked between the two men before Haku came over and helped him to his feet.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Haku asked.

"Yeah, I guess..." Naruto mumbled, still a bit upset over his gauntlets' demise.

"Man, first that King Taijitu and now the worm thing...You must _love_ getting eaten, huh, Naruto?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

"I must taste like ramen or something..." Naruto agreed with a nod. He gained a small frown. "Hmm...I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"What I do know is that you smell worse than you did before! Ugh, wet dog...it's assaulting my senses..." Kurama grumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Still...glad to see your stupidity factor saved your ass again."

"Invincible Idiot power. I'm jealous and yet so glad I don't have it." Sasuke nodded.

"...You guys are assholes." Naruto huffed. "I get eaten and all you do is call me stupid."

The whiskered blond yelped when Jiraiya cuffed him upside the head.

"They're damn right you're stupid! I told you not to move, and what do you do? You fucking move! No wonder you got eaten! And on top of that – on top of _that_ – You went and ruined your gauntlets!"

"...Wow, I feel so loved." Naruto mumbled. He received another smack upside the head.

"Shut up, Brat, before I change my mind." Jiraiya grumbled back. He looked at the man, Bunner, and nodded. "Give 'em up, Bunner. They're his by bloodline."

"Aw...Do I have to?" Gurt frowned. Kurama turned to him, his jaw popped open and a shaky hand lifted up.

"G-Gurt Bunner? _The_ Gurt Bunner? The man who perfected a forty-five caliber, multi-purpose pocket knife?!"

"...See, this is why he and Ruby aren't allowed to hang out," Sasuke said lowly to his team leader.

"We've been over this, Sasuke. Ruby _needs_ his help." Naruto rolled his eyes. He couldn't help that Ruby and Kurama clicked when it came to being weapon nerds. Granted, Ruby was far more into the art than the Faunus, but Kurama was the only one who had a small chance of getting Ruby to overcome her social awkwardness. Hell, it worked wonders on Jaune...Sort of...Okay, he's still a work in progress, but there is still merit to the plan.

Not to mention Yang offered a _big_ reward if Naruto's plan showed promise, but that was beside the point.

And no, it wasn't sex...Technically, anyway...Ahem, moving on.

Gurt seemed to beam at Kurama's words. He sent a smug look to the annoyed Jiraiya before he looked back at the star struck Faunus.

"I see you read my article in last month's _Dust_ _&_ _Bullets_ ," Gurt said. He held his hand out. "Gurt Bunner, Huntsman, weapon smith, and proud member of the Free Arms for Remnant Association."

"It's an honor, sir." Kurama took the hand and shook it. "I didn't know how to properly prepare my...Well...Will you do me the honor?"

Kurama offered his staff forward and Gurt gave it a once over with just his eyes.

"Well now...Look at that." An impressed whistle left the older Huntsman's lips as he carefully took the staff. "Aura channeling, dust-lined barrel, collapsible, combat ready ringed monk staff...Been a _long_ time since I've seen one of these."

"It was based off of his father's." Jiraiya threw in with a small smirk.

"Yes...Yes it certainly is..." Gurt handed the staff back and used a finger to wipe a tear away from his eye. "My boy, you've done me a grand justice. Alright, Jiraiya. I'll cough it up."

"Good...And you've got your...uh... _ride_ , don't you?" Jiraiya asked.

Gurt turned to him and smirked as he pulled his sunglasses from his collar.

"Of course I do...What do you think drew the Graboid's attention away? A remote control truck?"

He lifted up his left hand and held a clicker up. A press of a button and what looked like a rock formation not to far away shimmered for a moment before it revealed a six-wheeled, tan colored truck that looked ready to run down anything in its path.

Naruto was certain that even water wouldn't hold that thing off.

"...Can I drive?" Jiraiya asked eagerly.

"Hell no!"

"Oh come on, Bunner, we're buddies!"

"You can't drive a go-cart at the Vytal Festival much less Bessie!"

"Oh, goodie...Old people arguing..." Sasuke muttered in mild annoyance as Gurt led them over to the truck.

"Who're you callin' old, boy?"

"I don't want to hear it, Fanboy!"

* * *

"Welcome to Bunner's Bunker." Gurt led the group of five into his underground home. "We got air conditioning and filters, solar generators, water filters, food for years and, I know you'll like this one, Kurama..."

Gurt flipped a switch and a wall opened up, revealing a grand amount of weaponry that looked like it had come from all over the Four Kingdoms. Some looked like they outdated the Four Kingdoms, like they'd been pulled from The War themselves. The four teens stared at the collection, no, the _armory_ that they faced. Haku wandered over to a massive broadsword that looked like a cleaver.

"H-How did you get this?" He asked, his eyes wide. Gurt smiled lightly.

"I made that. It's a non-functioning replica based off of The Demon's Blade. He may have done a lot of dirty deeds with his...but it's a damn beautiful weapon and he treated it well." The old man sighed with a nod. "Give anything to see one of Fog's Seven Swords in real life again. Not fight it, though."

" _Again_?" Sasuke looked at the man.

"I encountered the Shark Shaver once." Gurt explained with a grimace. He rolled down his left sleeve, revealing a shredded scar on his forearm. "Nearly tore the whole damn thing off...Barely escaped with my life. Got lucky. That sum' bitch drew too much attention with his aura...The Maskless Grimm. You ignore anything else I ever say, boys, but goddamn if you do listen to me now."

The four teens turned to the older Huntsman, who had a grave look of seriousness in his normally manic eyes. He met each of their gazes and then pointed at his still exposed arm.

"If any of you ever meet the Maskless Grimm, you turn tail and you run. You run until you can't run anymore. That... _thing_ cannot be stopped. You understand?"

Naruto, Kurama, Haku and Sasuke nodded. They'd all been a bit unnerved by his words, and the way Jiraiya leaned on the wall with a similarly serious look on his face. That wasn't natural, and it put the four on edge.

"Good!" Gurt smiled and rolled his sleeve back up. "Now, you, Naruto. You're a close-combat, huh?"

"Uh, yeah...Sure."

"That's what I thought." Gurt nodded and walked over to a wall of gauntlets and greaves. He pulled open a drawer beneath what had to be the most over the top arm-cannon in history – seriously, it had like eighty-five different sizes and shapes of ammunition popping out of the front – and began to dig through it. "Let's see, now where did I...No...Hmm...Ah! Here it is! Still in prime condition."

Naruto tried to peer over the man's shoulder and jumped when he turned around so suddenly, his hands behind his back.

"Your name...was it given or earned?" Gurt asked.

"...Uhh...What?"

"His mother was an Uzumaki, Bunner. Drop the paranoia for a minute and just give him the damn things."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to make sure he could use them without losing an arm or something!"

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, highly alarmed.

"Ignore him, Naruto, he's just trying to scare you." Jiraiya pushed off of the wall and walked forward, his arms still crossed. He glared at the older man. "Bunner...give him the goddamn gloves."

"...Oh, fine. Spoilsport." Gurt grumbled. He pulled his hands from behind his back to reveal two leather fingerless black gloves with a steel scale-like plate on the back. Carved into the plate was a spiral, a spiral that matched the emblem on Naruto's clothes.

"These are the Rasen Guard, Naruto Uzumaki. Worn by the Head Bodyguards of the Uzumaki Tribe hundreds of years ago before they were scattered by The War." Gurt dramatically presented the weapons. "They're simple, elegant, and while they don't have a ballistic function, they do have a rather impressive kick only available to those of the Uzumaki bloodline."

Naruto could only stare at the gloves. He started to tune Gurt out as he took them into his hands. Slowly he pulled them on and it felt like something he'd been missing had finally been returned to him. He didn't know it, but his eyes flashed gold and the spirals on the steel lit up. With the gloves on his hands, Naruto flexed his fingers a few times before he balled his hands into fists and slammed them together. The plates on the back of the gloves lifted up and from beneath them, more scaled plates extended out.

The others watched with amazement as Naruto's arms were enveloped to the elbow by the scaled gauntlets, which were now more sleek and slender rather than large and bulky. They were almost organic, natural, like they _belonged_ on Naruto's arms. Hell, it was like they _were_ Naruto's arms.

"...Okay, I'm a little jealous." Sasuke mumbled as he soaked in the gleaming steel that reflected light at him. Never before had he thought weapons could be sexy, but he'll be damned if he didn't now. It was like looking at the latest sport car to come out of Mistral.

"Yep, they're pretty all right," Jiraiya said. He smirked and nodded at Gurt, who grinned and took a few steps back. "Naruto...channel some aura into your hands."

"Point your palms down at your sides first." Gurt advised.

"Okay..." Naruto mumbled as he did what he was instructed. His palms faced the floor and a fraction of his aura flowed into his hand. A golden glow shone beneath his palms that quickly intensified before he lifted off the ground. "Wh-Whoa!"

Off balanced from the unnatural feeling, Naruto spun out and crashed into a shelf. He groaned from the ground and grunted when a book fell onto his head. He got to his feet and looked at his hands.

"I...I can fly?"

"...Holy shit, he can fly." Kurama muttered with wide eyes, his sunglasses slipping down his nose slightly to reveal the underside of his brow, though his eyes themselves remained unseen.

Sasuke and Haku looked equally dumbfounded by this discovery.

"That's not all, now try throwing a punch and think of sending the aura behind you, right out of your elbow." Gurt suggested with a wide grin on his face.

Naruto, eager to learn more about his new weapons, settled into a stance and prepared a punch. The aura moved naturally to where he thought due to his control. When he threw the punch, he cleared the width of the already large room, and his fist imbedded itself in the wall next to Jiraiya.

"...What's the name again?" Naruto asked as he pulled his hand from the wall.

"Rasen Guard." The room repeated, two speakers amused while the other three were in awe.

"Rasen Guard..." Naruto mumbled. He grinned and his semblance flared to life for a brief moment. The spirals in the back of his hands glowing gold and several spiraling runes appeared along the steel plates. "Welcome aboard, Rasen Guard...Hope I don't let you down."

"I don't think you will, Naruto." Jiraiya smiled as he clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto smiled back up at him as his semblance died down. Almost naturally, Rasen Guard folded away without any jerking or effort on Naruto's part. The whiskered blond looked down at the gloves and for a moment thought he saw several different colors dance across the back. Greens, reds, blues...primary aura shades that were common among Remnant, and some Huntsmen and Huntresses. Strange, but again, Naruto felt as if it were natural. Like Rasen Guard was...alive.

"Well, now that Naruto has his family birthright, let's get down to business." Jiraiya's voice snapped Naruto from his thoughts. The whiskered blond turned to look at his godfather along with his team and Gurt. Jiraiya had a frown on his face and his arms folded back over his chest.

"How many Graboids are we dealing with?"

* * *

"Thank you for coming." A man's deep voice neutrally voiced his gratitude to two other figures stood in a shadowed room. The one who spoke was a tall spiky-haired male, the only features distinguishable in the darkness were his purple eyes, rippled and almost soulless as they observed the other two. A heavy cloak fell down over his shoulders, decorated with red mushroom clouds.

"Well, when one of our associates requests a gathering, it's only polite to show up, isn't it?" The figure to the purple-eyed man's left was a shorter woman, wearing a black cat-burgler's mask to protect her identity from those who knew her face. Golden eyes peered out from behind the mask and a small coy smile was on her face.

"Speak for yourself." The last, a young man with dark red hair and what appeared to be dark horns poking out over his head. In one hand was a long sheathed sword, the gloved hand around it gripped tightly. His lips curled down into a sneer as his Grimm mask, modified to show his status in the now infamous White Fang, faced the purple-eyed speaker. "I only came to ensure you don't plot against us."

"A wise move."

"Shut up, _Queen_."

"Be silent, _Beast_." The Faunus snarled at the purple-eyed man when he spoke. "What I have to say will affect our relationship, so listen well."

"I'm all ears, _Jackass_."

" _Fang_." The woman, Queen, hissed.

"Whatever." The Faunus, Fang, scoffed. He glared from behind his mask at the man. "Say your piece so I can leave, _Man_."

"Our plans have changed." The purple-eyed man's deep voice echoed in the cavern. "The Fourth War has decided that we shall once more act alone. I inform you only out of respect and to warn you."

"What?" Queen glared at the purple-eyed man and Fang gripped the hilt of his sword.

"Tossing us to the side already? That makes you a loose end. You won't leave this place alive." The White Fang member snarled as he began to draw his sword.

The action made the ripple-eyed figure lift his hand and put his palm right in the Faunus' face. There was a small flicker of aura before the Faunus flew back at a high speed and slammed into the wall, creating a massive cloud of smoke. Fang's sword fell to the ground and a pained gurgle escaped his lips. A warped pipe had pierced through the back of his right side and came through the front, blood covering it. The Faunus' head fell forward and was caught by the purple-eyed man's hand.

"You forget your place, _Beast_. I am no mere _man_. I am _God_." The self-proclaimed God warned as he gripped the Faunus' jaw. "Make a move against me or my acolytes...and you will find yourself in _Hell_. Do you understand?"

"F...F...Fuck you. Ape."

Queen winced as Fang's head was shoved through the wall, his neck bent at an odd angle. Thankfully, he wasn't dead. Aura was truly a miraculous thing.

" _That_ was your last warning, _Beast_." God rumbled lowly, his voice still neutral as when he began. He released the Faunus' head and turned around to walk back towards Queen, who took a miniscule step away as he towered over her. Rippled purple eyes regarded her for a moment, as like a Huntsman observing a plant, trying to determine whether it was dangerous or not.

"Fang is brash and stupid. I am not." Queen decided to speak after a moment.

"I sincerely hope that's true, as you should know that only a fool stands against God. I see all. I know all." Five more figures appeared at his side, each with the same eyes as the first. They circled Queen and stared her down from every angle. Queen trembled as their aura flared lightly, filling the room with malicious intent. The original man leaned forward and gently cupped her chin, tilting her head up to meet his near lifeless, yet still mesmerizingly bright, eyes.

"I warn you out of professional courtesy," he said lowly. His grip on her chin tightened and Queen grabbed at his wrist. "If you or the _Beast_ choose to stand against us...you will know true _Pain_."

The grip on her chin disappeared when the six figures vanished, as if they were never there. Queen dropped to her knees and trembled, her hands slowly moving up to grab her arms, hugging herself tightly. Golden eyes were wide and they stared at the ground.

 _What...What kind of monster...I didn't know there were_ more _of them! Oh go-god..._ Queen lifted one of her hands to her forehead and she shuddered. Her teeth grit together tightly and her eyes squeezed shut. _Get it together, get it together. He's messing with your mind...Don't let him win. Breathe...Breathe...Okay. Good._

Queen got back to her feet and exhaled roughly. She then snapped her gaze over to Fang, who blearily pulled his head out of the hole it was shoved in. Queen's golden eyes narrowed.

 _First...Make sure he knows not to mess with the Fourth War. We've done too much to let his racism risk it all._

"Adam...We need to talk."

* * *

 **AN: Wow, I had a fantastic Halloween. I watched the** _ **Tremors**_ **movies all day and they helped inspire this chapter. Gurt Bunner is an OC based off of** _ **Tremors**_ **' paranoid gun-genius Burt Gunner, played by the talented (and beloved) Michael Gross. I don't own the 'Graboid' name, but damn is it fun to use.**

 **Naruto's new gauntlets are black and silver, scaled and lean...look up "Leather Ninja Gauntlets" in images if you want a general idea.  
**

 **Also, how bout dem abs dough? U no wut I'm talkin' bout. Vol.3 Ep.2. Aww yeah...**

 **REVIEW!**


	23. Mother Humper

**AN: Wow, sorry about the lateness on this one Readers.** _ **Fallout 4**_ **is pretty distracting.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Graboids,** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **. Gurt Bunner is based off of the cult film series** _ **Tremors**_ **' character Burt Gummer aka "The Gun Guy", portrayed by the talented and beloved Michael Gross.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXIII: Mother-Humper**

* * *

"Hey, um, guys? Can I ask a question?" Naruto nervously spoke into a small microphone that was clipped around his neck that connected to an earpiece in his right ear, which was currently pressed down by two of his fingers. He couldn't help his nerves, the deserted valley was not a comfortable place to be once the sun dropped down beyond the mountain ridge and the moon started to climb.

Naruto shivered as a small gust of wind brushed passed his loaned t-shirt, and formed goose bumps on his exposed arms. No sooner had he gotten the Rasen Guard did his clothing start to deteriorate. Apparently, the Graboid's stomach acid worked slower on items that were deemed easily digestible (clothing, wood, and various other fibers) and faster on more complex meals, such as a Huntsman or Huntress' weapons or their limbs. So now, Naruto was clad in baggy orange jeans (something he was damned sure that he was going to keep) that were held up by a utility belt courtesy of Gurt, a spare set of combat sandals courtesy of his godfather ("I keep telling you idiots to always be prepared, but you _never_ listen to me!") and a solid black T-shirt that was just large enough to give him breathing room, but not too large to be obscenely baggy. His parents' rings were back in Gurt's truck, protected by similar rune-like designs that were on Rasen Guard.

Overall, it was a nice new look that kept him cool when the sun was up, but now he was damn near freezing.

" _You just did, Naruto. Two in fact._ "

"Piss off, Kurama."

" _Kit, don't abuse the radio. Naruto, ask your question._ " Jiraiya hissed quietly through the line. Kurama's small growl at the name was barely heard.

"Why am _I_ the bait?" Naruto asked. His eye twitched. "Again?"

Seriously, he'd been standing out in this desert for about three hours now, and the last worm, out of three others (including the bastard that _ate_ him), hadn't come snooping while Naruto practiced using his new gauntlets. With the original plan of Naruto making noise, drawing the Graboids in while he practiced using his new gauntlet's aura blasts.

On a side note, Rasen Guard is the best weapon hand-me-down ever; Jaune was so going to be jealous.

So was Ruby, for that matter.

" _Because you, in your own words, 'taste like ramen'._ " Haku reminded the blond of his theory. No one argued it, and Kurama proposed (jokingly) that it had merit due to the amount of heavenly noodles Naruto could consume. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, the whiskered blond was a tad battle hungry after the last two fights with the Grimm worms.

"...Fuck me." Naruto groaned out of boredom.

" _That's Yang's job, not ours._ " Sasuke and Kurama simultaneously replied. They were obviously enjoying his misery.

"You guys suck. Why are we friends again?"

" _Because you're a dumbass and wouldn't leave us alone when we were younger._ " Again, simultaneous. Dicks.

" _Who's Yang?_ " Gurt asked, intrigued.

" _The Brat's girlfriend. Aren't you supposed to be watching that size-o-ma-jigger?_ " Jiraiya asked.

" _I_ am _watching the seismograph. Our Graboid is about thirty clicks west. He's not that interested yet. Naruto, you need to make more noise! Run around, do something, I don't care, but get this mother-humper's attention, will ya?_ "

"Yeah, yeah..." Naruto sighed and began to limber up. Two minutes after he finished loosening his joints, he started to shadow fight, throwing punches and kicks in various combinations. Rasen Guard unfolded, silent as the desert night around him, and joined in the shadow fight. For forty-five minutes, Naruto was entertained. At the hour mark, he sighed once again and stopped.

"Guys...I'm getting bored."

" _How are you bored?_ " Jiraiya demanded. " _You're live bait in a Grimm hunt! Hunting a rare Grimm that not many Huntsmen or Huntresses have ever encountered!_ "

" _Naruto, you need to stay focused._ " Haku urged.

"I know!" Naruto whined shamelessly. Though unnatural for a teenager, it wasn't really that surprising for one who raised oneself from childhood to keep their childish faults, I.e., Naruto's phasmophobia. "...But still..."

" _I got an idea._ " Kurama's smirk was audible to the whiskered blond, who now wondered what was on his Faunus friend's mind. Softly, with only a crackle of static to accompany his voice, a single word came through the ear bud. " _Penis_."

Naruto's face spread into a wide smile. Oh, hell the fuck yes. Slightly louder than his friend and without using the radio – he didn't want to hear the Pervy Sage bitch and moan about his poor ears, nor did he want to hurt Haku or Gurt – Naruto continued the game.

"Penis."

" _...Penis._ " Kurama's voice rose higher than Naruto's, but was still no louder than a whisper.

" _You guys are so immature._ " Sasuke groaned over the radio. Jiraiya could be heard laughing in the background with Gurt while Haku's chuckles were a bit louder.

" _Shut up, Uchiha._ " Kurama muttered. " _Don't be a loser._ "

"Penis!" Naruto said the word moderately loudly, or what normal parents-slash-guardians would call an 'inside voice' to a young child. Kurama huffed over the radio.

" _Impatient –_ " The Faunus cut himself off the radio and Naruto closed his eyes. Faintly, from beyond a small rock formation a good distance away, he heard an echo of "Penis!"

"Oh it's on now, Ōtsutsuki..." The blond mumbled. He cupped his hands around his mouth and then took a deep breath. As loud as he could, Naruto shouted out to the world the five-letter word that was considered a taboo to shout.

" **PENIS**!"

The word echoed in the night and Naruto smirked. No one could beat him at the Penis Game. He was the King Dong of Kon Academy all throughout his educational career. Heck, he even spent a night at the Kon Detention Center behind bars for making a public disturbance late at night. He wasn't as restrained or put with any potential pedophiles (thank the mighty noodle god), but he was behind bars. Naruto was just glad the event was destroyed along with the rest of his juvenile delinquent records when he turned sixteen. Otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get into Beacon.

"... _Bullshit, I demand a rematch!_ " Kurama hissed angrily over the radio while Haku was openly laughing alongside Jiraiya and Gurt.

" _And you say I'm a sore loser?_ "

" _I will show that picture! Do not tempt me!_ "

" _Boys, shush!_ " Gurt cut in. Naruto's smile fell as the radio went silent for a moment and the sounds of the desert nightlife returned to dominance. His eyes began to dart around and he flexed his hands, shifting Rasen Guard into and out of active status. A soft rumble gained his attention. A hand lifted up to press the ear bud.

"Uh...Guys?" He asked softly. Another rumble had him turn around on his rock and he lifted his free hand, the spiral-rune on his palm glowing in preparation. Yes, Rasen Guard did lack physical projectiles, but the use of its many runes was in the thousands. Naruto especially enjoyed using the palm runes as minor repulser blasters.

They were super effective.

"Guys, seriously...What's going on?" Naruto asked again. "Talk to me here. I'm the one that tastes like Ramen, remember?! My life is on the line here!"

" _-eadings don't make sen-_ "

"Guys!?" Naruto cut in. The radio crackled for a second before finally he got a response.

" _Naruto, you've got to get out of there!_ " Haku urged.

"What? There's not more than one coming for me, is there?"

" _No!_ " Gurt came over the radio. " _No, it's just one. I may have...Miscalculated its initial size, though. It's not almost ten meters..._ "

"...Tell me it's smaller. Please, in the name of the Holy Ramen, let it be smaller." Naruto prayed over the radio.

" _No such luck, kid. This beast is...Shit...Don't move._ " Jiraiya hissed. " _Radio_ _silence, now_!"

The radio cut dead and Naruto went still. The light in his gauntlets went out and he stopped thinking as a massive mound of dirt began to rise up in front of him. Almost double the normal width of the previous Graboid emergence points. The ground gave way and a massive white worm shot up. The mask was pitch black and the red and yellow coloring had reversed. The albino Graboid rose to about maybe fifteen meters, its widest point of the midsection caught in the middle, so it would be fair to estimate the size at about thirty meters total. The Grimm worm fell to the side, just a meter or so from Naruto's position. It's beak opened and the snake-like tongues that were usually the size of a human or Faunus' arm was easily as tall as his godfather.

 _Oh, wonderful. I get to deal with a genetic freak of nature._ Naruto thought sardonically. One of the tongues moved towards him and Naruto had to fight back every instinct to blast it. Instead, he started a mantra. Five simple words: _Don't move, it'll go away._

Of course, the tongue retracted and the Graboid slunk back into its hole. It disappeared deep underground, but Naruto felt uneasy.

" _Naruto._ " Kurama whispered over the radio. " _Naruto, make a distraction. Blow up a rock or something. The sound should draw it away._ "

Naruto licked his lips and craned his head so that he could peer down into the hole. Nothing was there, but something was still wrong.

 _No..._ Blue eyes narrowed and flashed gold for a brief second. His hand, still on his ear, pressed down on the piece. "No...This one won't fall for it..."

" _Naruto, listen to me_ ," Gurt said. " _This mother-humper will go away. Ya just gotta make a distraction so we can all get back to my truck._ "

" _We have to regroup and get in contact with Vale or Vacuo._ " Jiraiya agreed.

"...That'll take too long. What if it goes to the town?" Naruto asked softly. He looked around when he heard a small rumble. _Or worse, what if it's repopulating?_

" _Naruto!_ "

"...Imma go for it." Naruto let his arm fall and rolled his shoulders. His gauntlets filled with aura and began to hum lightly.

" _Go for what?!_ " The others asked in annoyance.

"Just have another set of spare clothes ready." Naruto mumbled. He was not keen on getting eaten again, but if he could do this right, then that would deal with the problem for good.

" _Naruto...Naruto, don't you dare!_ " Jiraiya shouted over the radio.

The ground shook and Naruto smirked.

"Knew it!" He cried as the worm came back into sight. He lifted his hands above his head and then threw them down. His semblance flared to life just as his palms' expelled enough aura to give him the proper amount of thrust. Naruto shot into the air above the Graboid's emergence hole and glared down at the albino monstrosity that rose up after him.

"Alright you ugly sonovabitch, it's Ramen time!"

His semblance and aura output cut out just as the Graboid's beak opened and it let out a roar. As he fell into the monster's open maw ( _again_ ) Naruto could only wonder how everyone else was doing.

* * *

"Why...Why was our mission the one that was postponed?" Jaune groaned. He took Pyrrha's offered hand and got back to his feet before he glowered at his team's opponent: The (self-proclaimed) Beautiful Green Beast, Might Guy. Thankfully, Guy let them wear their normal attire during their spar.

Unfortunately, what they wore wasn't affecting the outcome of the fight, Guy was still kicking their butts.

Even Nora, the heavy hitter of Team JNPR, was being swatted away like she was an annoying gnat. Her massive mallet wasn't able to leave a mark because Guy would send her packing once she got close enough.

Like now.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" The spandex-clad huntsman jumped into a spinning roundhouse that nailed Nora right in her gut.

"Gah!"

Jaune and Pyrrha had to step out of the way as the orange haired girl soared past them. They watched Ren try to engage Guy in martial arts, only to be bested by a barrage of punches, kicks, and finished with an over the shoulder toss. Ren landed at the two shield-bearer's feet and groaned. A hand reached up and grabbed Jaune's leg.

"Okay...Your turn," Ren said, his voice muffled by the dirt.

"Any ideas?" Pyrrha asked Jaune.

"Well, we could always beg for mercy." Jaune mumbled.

"Jaune..."

"Okay, okay...Uh...Oh! I know!" Jaune held his shield up to cover his and Pyrrha's heads from Guy's sight.

Guy watched in mild amusement. _I wonder if I should teach him a lesson about leaving himself open like that. It's not very wise or youthful in a fight...But then again, to suddenly break into a team huddle would throw tournament opponents off...Hmm...What would my hip and cool rival do?_

" _...Show no mercy, Guy..._ "

 _Fair enough!_ Guy grinned widely and burst into action. He rushed at the two sword-and-shield users, his speed tore the grass right from the ground. As he jumped in the air and thrust his left leg out from his side, he gave them the benefit of the doubt and called out one of his favorite attacks.

"Dai-namic Entry!"

Named and created, of course, by his late father, Might Dai.

Pyrrha and Jaune poked their heads over Jaune's shield at Guy's proclamation. Their eyes widened in horror as the gaudy orange greave approached Jaune's shield in almost slow motion.

* * *

 _For some reason, I have the urge to smack PJ and Pyrrha upside the head._ Naruto thought while he struggled around in the albino Graboid's gut. He could already feel the stomach acid start to tickle his toes. Shame, too. He liked those sandals. Naruto grunted and continued to struggle in the confined space. If he could just manage to get some an arm free.

 _In hindsight, this was a lot simpler in theory. Get eaten, use Rasen Guard to blow myself out in a Ruby-like fashion, and then go home for some ramen...and some cuddle time with Yang. Wait, what if I combined the two...But where would I get a tub that big?_ Naruto thought to himself again.

He would've said it aloud, but there was a whole ecosystem of internal organs dedicated to keeping him in place. Like, one of the tongues somehow inverted and bound around him like he was in one of Haku's dark fantasies. There was a damn reason Haku used a whip as an alternative weapon and, even though Kurama and Sasuke didn't see it – those fools thought Naruto was reading too much into it – Naruto was sure he was right about why that was.

Hell, he was going to ask Jiraiya about it once he got out of this situation. If anyone would know, it would be the Super Pervert. It was required via the title to be knowledgeable on and have performed all kinks known to Man and Faunus alike. Yes, Jiraiya was an expert on Faunus kink as well as human. He said not only due to his title was it required, but also for his work, i.e., his pornographic tales that were disturbingly accurate in detail. Like that one part where Nimato stimulates his bed partner's breasts by manipulating his aura to–

 _Damn my short attention span! Stop thinking about boobs, Brain, and focus on getting out of here!_ Naruto mentally yelled at himself. His eyes squeezed shut and he shuffled his arms. _If I can just get one hand free...Grr...c'mon, what do you have to do to get free from these things? The strength of ten men – Oh, wait, duh. Semblance!_

Naruto's skin began to glow and his arms slowly began to push the inverted tongue away from his body. Good, now he could inhale. He could focus, and that meant–

 _Is it me, or is something jabbing my si-? Oh shit!_ Naruto silently swore as the stomach acid began to flood the chamber he was in. His loaned clothing already gone the path of his past clothes, but surprisingly, Rasen Guard was perfectly intact. In fact, the glow of the runes matched his skin's shine perfectly. Pushing those thoughts to the side, he lifted his left hand, since it was further spread from his body and now able to twist around, up and held the palm out.

Golden aura fired in a constant stream from the center rune in his hand, burning through the tongue that bound him and a loud squeal of pain echoed in the chamber. Naruto winced at the volume – any Faunus would probably be deafened for at least a day before the effects wore off – but kept the heat on. His body free from the seared muscle, Naruto openly grinned and added his right hand to the mix, taking a bit too much enjoyment in the Creature of Grimm's pain.

"Yeah, ya like that you _fuck_? Have some heartburn, courtesy of your Naruto-flavored snack!" Naruto aimed up and cut through the side, which earned him another eardrum-shattering squeal from the albino Graboid. Naruto grit his teeth and directed more aura into his beam.

"Burn, motherfucker, burn!"

* * *

"I'm going to kill him." Jiraiya decided as they followed the racing behemoth beneath the ground in Gurt's truck. His eyes were glued to the seismograph that was tracking the large red dot. His eyes widened as the beacon ceased moving and disappeared from the screen. "What? Bunner! Your hunk of junk is malfunctioning again!"

"I don't think that's the machine, sir," Haku said owlishly, his eyes glued to the front of the vehicle. Before Jiraiya could turn around in his seat to ask him what he meant, Gurt slammed on the breaks, which caused the white haired man to fly forward face-first into the dash.

"Ow! Goddammit, Bunner, that hurt!" Jiraiya hollered as he covered his nose. He turned and glared at his acquaintance. "Hey, can I get an apology here?! My nose is broken!"

"...Sorry..."

"Wow, that sounded so sincere..." Jiraiya grumbled and rubbed his face. "Thank god aura heals so fast...bastard...If my face had been damaged...That's the money maker, dammit."

"Pervy Sage, you really need to see this." Kurama pointed past the man.

"What? What are you ... Oh." Jiraiya blinked as a beam of golden fire-like energy pierced through the ground into the sky. "Well...I think it's safe to say I know why the machine malfunctioned...Would you check the size of that?"

"Look at its length." Kurama mumbled.

"Its girth is massive." Jiraiya added

"...You're both disgusting," Sasuke said dryly.

"And yet you're the one that reads the dirty book, Sasuke."

"Piss off, Kurama."

"I think it's safe to say Naruto is still alive and his gauntlets are still intact this time," Haku said dryly. Their team leader was scarily durable. Like Kurama had told Sun, it would probably take a atomizing attack to completely eradicate his body or something with enough force to pierce Naruto's Semblance.

"Yes he is." Gurt chuckled. He put the truck in park, killed the engine, opened the door and hopped out. He pulled off a mounted shovel from the truck's hood and began to make his way over to where the beam had fired up.

"Where are you going?" Jiraiya asked.

"Gonna make sure that the kid doesn't die from suffocation. That or save the gauntlets if he already did." Gurt called over his shoulder. Jiraiya hurriedly got out of his seat and rushed after the older man, grumbling obscenities along the way about paranoid and selfish old coots.

"...Well, at least he has his priorities in order." Kurama drawled. He tapped his chin as Sasuke got out of the back to follow the two older men. "Makes me wonder how much those gloves would go for on the market..."

"Kurama!" Haku admonished the Faunus.

"What? It's not like anyone would be able to use them. Besides, this is the Invincible Idiot we're talking about. He's fine..." Kurama sounded a bit unsure of that. He looked at Haku and put a hand on his shoulder. "To be safe, I'd start thinking about how you'll tell Yang that her idiot died after being eaten by a giant worm."

"...You're a horrible friend." Haku frowned.

"Eh, so I've been told, but at least I'm not his enemy. Can you imagine what I'd be like then?" Kurama's question went unanswered as the two got out of the truck and followed the others. They had an idiot to dig out of a hole.

* * *

 **AN: So yeah, like I said, this one was delayed because of** _ **Fallout 4**_ **. And it was short because toward the end, my brain started to lose inspiration. Mostly because I was playing F4, as I dub it. Geez, that game is** _ **so**_ **good. I can't ...it's...Just look at the Live-Action trailer for it! The Atom-punk scene, Dion's "The Wanderer" matched the theme, and the near perfect representation of what most of the franchise is about: Wandering through the Wastes.**

 **Sorry it was short, but that's life sometimes.**

 **REVANDERER!**


	24. The Breach

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXIV: The Breach**

* * *

"Keep on laughing, Pervy Sage, you'll fall asleep sometime. And when you do, I'll shave that mane of pride of yours right off." Naruto glared daggers at his giggling godfather.

After he'd been 'rescued' from suffocation within the Grimm's carcass, which would have just dissolved into wisps anyway, Naruto was forced to sit in Gurt's beast of a truck with no more than a large thermal insulating blanket to keep him warm during the cold early hours of the desert's morning. They had to drive into town because Gurt was out of clothes that would fit the blond, and seeing as Rejection was _so_ lively, Naruto didn't really have much of a problem when he went into the general store basically naked. It was the damn weather that irritated him, mostly. For such a dry climate, the area was so freaking cold at night.

Well, admittedly it wasn't _that_ bad. Naruto was naturally a hot guy. Literally. His body temperature's average was well above the norm, quoted by the then head of nursing staff as being ideal for surviving the winters of Mantle's southernmost mountain peaks in thin clothes. Still, that didn't mean he particularly liked being cold.

The other thing that really grated on his nerves – aside from being eaten by a giant rare albino Grimm that was easily a century or two old, aside from losing his clothes, aside losing his first gauntlets, the thing that _really_ grated on Naruto's nerves was when the cashier, a rather cute girl around his age (easily a seven out of ten), ignored him when he mentioned already having a girlfriend. Then she had the gall to slip her scroll number into the front of his boxers. Seriously, paper cuts – or any cuts really – down there was a _huge_ no-no. And that wasn't the worst of it, oh no. That would be _far_ too tame. As if nearly giving lil' Naruto a cut wasn't enough, the flirty cashier did this act in plain view of his perverted godfather, who immediately started to scribble something into his notepad.

So yeah, Naruto was planning on giving the number to Yang, just to see what would happen. Once he made it perfectly clear that he did not care for the woman's attitude towards him. Honestly, ogling his nude form like he was a slab of meat!

The nerve of some people.

"You have to admit, Naruto, she was persistent," Haku said with a small smile. Naruto gave him a dry glare out of the corner of his eye, sent a final glare to his godfather, and then moved his attention to the window of the bulkhead that had arrived _very_ early. Apparently, the pilot had been told by Jiraiya to arrive eight hours _ahead_ of the scheduled pick up time. This, according to the old pervert, would guarantee them a ride back into Vale.

Little did Naruto know that Jiraiya made a rushed call for a new pilot to be in the area, calling in a favor because he needed to make Ozpin aware of the Graboid outbreak ASAP.

"Ah, don't mind him, kid's just cranky he didn't get his sleep last night," Jiraiya said once he calmed down. He tilted his head out of the way of a thrown piece of scrap while he scratched another sentence into his notebook. The older huntsman cracked a smirk and glanced at his godson for a brief second.

"You should be glad I bestowed upon you my woo-fu!"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched and he looked at Haku. "If I ever start to write dirty books, shoot me."

"I'm pretty sure Yang would support that career," Kurama said thoughtfully.

"Dead Faunus say what?" Naruto asked with a hard glare aimed at his red-themed teammate.

"Shutting up."

" _Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch me, I wanna feel di-i-irty!_ "

Haku, Kurama, Sasuke and Jiraiya turned to the leader of Team NHKS as he pulled his scroll out.

"What?" Naruto asked. He shrugged. "Yang loved the flick."

"...When did you-?" Sasuke began.

"We skipped a _lot_ of classes together." Naruto cut him off and opened the scroll. "Sup, Yan-? Whoa! Hang on, speak up. There's a lot of interference. What?"

" _The White Fang kidnapped my little sister, and they have this underground train heading for Vale filled with a_ lot _of Dust!_ "

"How much Dust are we talking here?"

" _Enough to make sure that the Grimm outside the city find a way in!_ "

"...Why do you sound like you're overexerting yourself?" Naruto asked, taking note of a few grunts and growls that slipped out of his girlfriend's mouth.

" _Shut up! Get your ass back to Vale! And you! I'm trying to have a conversation!_ " Yang yelled at someone (hopefully) other than him. The call ended with a click and Naruto looked up at the curious eyes aimed at him.

"The White Fang are making their move." He said simply.

"...Well, shit." Kurama surmised everyone's thoughts.

Jiraiya's features turned hard as he put his notepad away. The self-proclaimed super pervert was in full on Huntsman mode as he lifted a fist and banged on the back of the pilot's seat.

"Get us back to Vale _yesterday_!" He barked. "Use the V-Drive!"

"Yes, sir!"

Jiraiya returned his attention to the first year team.

"We're going to move very fast in a very short amount of time, so brace yourselves, but don't buckle up. I want you to be ready for immediate response drops. Kurama, Sasuke, you've both trained for it. Haku?"

"I assume it's similar to a worst case scenario escape," Haku said.

"Yeah, something like that," Kurama said, his voice rising as the engines on the Bulkhead suddenly gained an enormous increase in volume to the already loud roar. "You ever see any of those movies where the characters jump out of a airship and get right to the battle?"

"Yeah?"

"Be sure to tuck and roll, it displaces the kinetic force. Don't just land feet first, always roll!" Sasuke yelled over the engines. Haku raised a thumb in understanding.

"Now, what exactly is happening?" Jiraiya asked his godson, who then relayed to him what his girlfriend had said. The simple, yet intricate, plot that the terrorist cell came up with made Jiraiya's features darken. He leaned back and banged on the pilot's seat again.

"I don't care if it kills us! Get us back to Vale in less than an hour or I'll throw you out of your goddamn seat and fly us there myself!"

* * *

They made it to Vale in record time, fifty minutes and fifty-five seconds to be precise. A door on the right side of the Bullhead opened and revealed the wondrous sight of Vale's towering buildings to the freshmen and experienced Huntsman. Naruto was the first out of his seat, going to the open side of the Bullhead and scouring the area. His eyes landed on a sea of black and white beyond a tower of smoke and he waved Sasuke over.

"Get me a IZ!" Naruto called over the Bullhead's roaring engines.

Sasuke nodded and held his right arm up, with black aura crackling around his hand. The sky darkened over the sea of Grimm, who turned their attention to the boys' Bullhead. Various screams, shrieks and screeches were barely heard as thunder rumbled overhead. Sasuke threw his arm down and a large bolt of lightning fired down onto the many Creeps and Beowolves. The strike eradicated a good portion of the Grimm creatures, but still left a considerable amount to deal with.

"There's your IZ! Do me a favor and don't get yourself killed!" Sasuke told his team leader, who looked at him with a grin.

"C'mon, this is me we're talking about!" Naruto returned.

"I'm only saying it so Yang doesn't try to kill me when you tell her about this!" Sasuke said before he shoved the blond forward. The raven-haired teen turned and looked at his two other teammates as well as his team leader's godfather before he shrugged.

"He was wasting time chatting it up and probably would've showboated."

"Yeah, he'd do that." Kurama agreed. "For the best."

"You're probably right." Haku shook his head begrudgingly.

 _Minato, like you, I've taught him so well._ Jiraiya thought as he quickly wiped a tear of pride from his eye and hid the smile that wanted to form on his face.

"That dick. I was totally going to say something awesome!" Naruto growled as he fell toward the creatures of Grimm that eagerly awaited his arrival to their level. Rasen Guard unfolded from their glove form to encase his hands. Naruto's hair resembled flickering flames and his skin shone brightly, golden eyes narrowed as he approached the ground. Naruto twisted himself around seconds before he hit the ground, using his fist create a massive shockwave that knocked the Grimm into the air.

It also left a rather remarkably sized crater in the previously, remarkably untouched pavilion.

"How's _that_ for leaving a mark on the world?" Naruto asked himself with a chuckle. He brought his fists up defensively while the Grimm recovered from his ground shaking entrance and started to swarm him. A mad, bloodthirsty grin spread across his face as he punched the nearest Creep across the face, sending it skidding back. Naruto used the aura thrusters on his palms to quickly back away from a group of Beowolves that tried to dog pile on him. He turned on his heel to deliver a firm punch into another Creep that attempted to catch him in its mouth.

"Aw man, I just got these." Naruto grimaced as the Grimm's saliva caked his fist. He did punch it in the roof of its mouth, and while that resulted in the Creep's head being removed from the body, and lower jaw, it had the side effect of leaving some residue on Naruto's hand. The golden Huntsman-in-training shook his hand out in an attempt to rid himself of the sticky substance.

"Pay attention, idiot!" Kurama called as he landed in a roll a few feet away and pulled out Ri Kudo in its rifle mode. Naruto ducked as a bullet fired into a Beowolf that tried to sneak up on him.

"Eh-heh...Thanks, Kurama," Naruto said with a sheepish grin. He held his hand to his immediate left and fired an aura blast. The Borbatusk that had been in the midst of charging at them squealed and toppled to its side, skidding between the two, and resting a couple of feet away.

Sasuke landed atop the boar-like Grimm, which squealed in protest. Amaterasu impaled into the young Grimm's underbelly, and his feet planted firmly on the masked head and the armor-less flank. Sasuke stood up and spun around. The sword in his hand shifted into its bow form and fired three pre-loaded arrows into three Beowolves that were closing in.

"Flashy, thought that was our fearless leader's shtick," Kurama said, using the butt of Ri Kudo's rifle mode to bash down another ballsy Beowolf before he unloaded four rounds into its' chest.

"Thought I'd mix it up a bit. On your six, down!" Sasuke told his partner. The Faunus ducked as three more arrows impaled a Creep right in the eye. It collapsed mid-charge and took out two flanking Borbatusks.

"Where's Haku?" Naruto asked as he held off the claws of an Ursa that was trying to take a good chunk out of him.

As if to answer his question, a familiar Dust crystal-tipped whip wrapped around the Ursa's neck. A sharp pull separated the bear-like Grimm's head from its shoulders, relieving Naruto of his problem. Haku's weapon quickly switched into its semi-automatic form, before he and his teammates went back to back in the center of their small square. The team leader used his aura blasts to keep the larger Grimm at bay while Haku sprayed down the smaller, less armored ones, with Sasuke and Kurama using precise shots to bring down some of the numbers.

"So, what's the plan, Naruto?" Haku asked as three shots of his dust crystals took down a few more Beowolves. He quickly turned and put down another group of Grimm.

Naruto caught the snout of an older, heavily armored Borbatusk in one hand and pressed his other palm against the side of its head. A quick blast of aura reduced the creature's head to black wisps, and its body dropped to the ground. Naruto's eyes flashed a blinding gold before his semblance flared to life.

"We'll kill 'em all!" Naruto ordered. He looked over his shoulder at the fox-tailed Faunus. "Kurama, thin the herd on the wall's side! Sasuke, Haku, cover his back and be ready to reload and evac!"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Kurama smirked as he shifted Ri Kudo back into the monk staff form. A firm swat knocked aside a leaping Creep before the Faunus held the ringed tip out towards the Grimm on his side, those that had their backs to the large barrier wall around Beacon's edge. A little grin spread across his face as the top of the ring separated and opened, the ring becoming a small trident. The smaller rings on the rim magnetically aligned themselves to perfectly balance around the larger ring. The three tips sparked with energy before a small black orb formed at the end.

"What is that?" Haku asked, his attention drawn away from the Grimm charging at him for a brief millisecond to admire the growing black orb. It was nearly the size of a grapefruit by this point.

"That, Haku, is basically every Grimm's biggest desire and worst nightmare wrapped up in one," Sasuke said. He dropped an alpha Beowolf before he looked over at the androgynous teen. "Don't stare at it too long. Your retinas will burn."

"Baked potato, going in hot in three...two...Hope you like your dinner!" Kurama cackled as his thumb pressed down on a lifted section of the staff. The orb shot out and flew past three rows of Grimm, immediately disintegrating any that came in the slightest of contact with it, before it stopped about fifty feet in the middle of the crowd. Kurama slumped back, caught by Naruto, who jumped up and pushed off a Creep's head.

"We're gonna fall back to that roof!" Naruto pointed at a distant building just on the edge of the square as he pulled Kurama over his shoulders and continued to jump from the head of one Grimm to the next. Sasuke and Haku wasted no time and followed his example, the latter disappearing into a mirror and reappearing at a distant building's rooftop. Naruto and Sasuke jumped up off of the tail of a Deathstalker and scaled the building's wall.

Haku grabbed Kurama's arms and pulled him up from Naruto's shoulders, allowing the team leader to climb up without issue. Sasuke turned and took position on the corner of the rooftop, his bow out and picking off Beowolves that pursued them. Naruto and Haku helped Kurama rest against an air vent, before the blond looked out at the black orb, still hovering over the horde's wall end. Naruto looked back at Kurama expectantly.

"Well?"

"Give me a damn second..." The Faunus grumbled out, his breathing a bit labored. "Keeping it condensed like that from this distance is a bitch and a half."

"Then stop condensing it."

"We're not far enough-"

"We are! Now blow the damn thing!"

"Fine! ...One order of mashed potatoes, coming up." Kurama lifted his thumb off of the exposed button on his staff.

The black orb, which was being crowded around by the swarm of Grimm, suddenly expanded to fill the entirety of the square. It encased all of the Grimm within the blink of an eye. Even a Nevermore was unable to escape as it flew overhead, its last cry silenced as it was disintegrated when its largest talon grazed the edge of the black orb. Then, it rapidly shrank. It imploded on itself and revealed a large spread of desolate, scorched dirt in place of what was once a Grimm filled pavilion. No sign of life, Human, Faunus or Grimm, remained. Thankfully, it was only those in the final category that fell victim to this large eradication of life.

"What was-?" A massive window shattering and mind numbing boom drowned Haku's question out. The four teens were knocked from their feet and to the ground, their hands clapped firmly over their ears and grimaces of pain over each of their faces.

"I told you we were too close you brain-dead hairless simian!" Kurama shouted at his team leader. He cringed again. "God...Damn, my head hurts!"

"What?!" Naruto shouted back. "Gah, dammit!"

"What the hell was that!?" Haku shouted. "Argh!"

"What?!" Sasuke asked. His eyes screwed tight. "Shit!"

This continued for about five minutes before the boys' haze cleared away. But, during those five minutes, the explosion was heard and reacted to all over Beacon.

* * *

"Ballsy little shits," Jiraiya said as he stood beside Ozpin in the headmaster's office, a smirk on his face as he stared out over at Vale. He sent a glance over to the headmaster. "So...Where's Jimmy?"

"The General has ...stepped out." Ozpin uneasily answered.

"Ah...He's gone to assert Atlas' dominance over Vale." Jiraiya nodded. "When the Council hears of this, they will pull you off the defense of Vytal and put Mr. Military Might in charge."

"...Most likely."

"Ah...Well, when we get the one responsible for this, don't tell Jimmy where he gets locked up." Jiraiya turned and began to head for the doors, which opened as Glynda entered. Jiraiya gave her a longer-than-necessary glance over before he walked out. Glynda, visibly disgusted with the older man's lust, walked up to stand beside her friend.

"James' estimated time of arrival is in forty-five minutes," she said.

"I see...Then we have ten to get the rest of the advanced students on our Bullheads and support Dr. Oobleck." Ozpin mused. He kept his gaze on smoking pavilion that had just been encased in a large black dome. His grip on his cane was tight and his lips pursed.

 _And the people frown on Atlas for its support of militarized training._ The headmaster furrowed his brow. _What is going on in those villages of Vacuo, I wonder?_

* * *

In the elevator down to the Jiraiya pulled out a red scroll, marked with a black activation button and it popped open. He searched through the various contacts, all marked with various combinations of punctuation symbols. Halfway through the list he stopped and selected one. A calling icon appeared on the screen and he lifted the scroll up to his ear.

" _One silly monkey jumped on the bed._ " A gruff male voice spoke into the phone.

"Ma kicked down the door and brained him in the head." Jiraiya responded.

" _Hehehe, nice to hear a friendly voice after such a long time. So what's the skizzy, Boss-Man? What'cha need this old fool to do for you?_ "

"You watching the news?"

" _Well, no, not really. Just got out of the local jail, apparently I was spending too much time watching a lovely group of birds...Wish you were here, would've been_ great _inspiration._ "

"Find the nearest Tavern and watch the news." Jiraiya answered. "Vale's been hit, the Queen's plan moved...ahead of schedule."

" _Oh-ho-ho...So it's been busted, then?_ "

"Jimmy's going to want the 'mastermind's head on a platter," Jiraiya said. The elevator doors dinged open and he walked out. "Probably snatch him up with his little gizmos and gadgets. Make a big Atlesian show of it."

" _Typical Mantler._ " The man scoffed." _Gotta show off his toys to compensate for the boys! Now we Wanderin' boys-!_ "

"Get girls off _without_ toys." Jiraiya laughed in agreement. "Speaking of boys and girls, your grandson has discovered a little squeeze that was once part of the Fangs."

" _...Well, is she worth the risk?_ "

"If I were thirty years younger, I'd beat your grandson black and blue to get some of it."

" _Ah, his mother thought she could keep my influence out by sending him off to Haven, but I_ knew _that he'd succumb to the wiles of women with or without my help!_ " the man cackled. " _How's he looking? The lil' Sun able to, uh...?_ "

"He's malleable, as are his teammates, but its too soon to tell."

" _I see..._ " The man on the other end let out a sharp exhale. " _So, this was a call to brag, then?_ "

"No, this is purely professional. That's just a bonus."

" _You saggy ol' cock._ "

"At least I'm able-bodied enough to keep using mine without assistance."

" _Oh, so you and Ms. Lefty are getting married? Gonna wear two rings on your finger?_ "

"Cute." Jiraiya smirked. The amusement on his face fell as he resumed his walk. "Listen, I'm going to extract the wick from the wax. We'll play a few hands of poker at the pub after, okay?"

" _Yeah, yeah, I'll be waiting. Anything else?_ "

"Yes." Jiraiya smirked as he opened the main building of Beacon's doors to the sounds of distant roars and explosions, as well as gunfire and Bullhead engines overhead. "Tell Ma and Pa that the tadpole's finally lost his tail."

" _Tch, biased ol' fart._ "

"Don't believe me, challenge him to a spar. He's a bit of a dumbass, but he's ready."

" _Maybe I will._ " The man snorted. " _You and Sarutobi sure like to boast about Kon's Fire, but I wonder if it can stand up to mine. See you tonight, I'll bring the deck._ "

Jiraiya ended the call with a smirk still plastered on his face. He rolled his neck and slid the scroll shut. His eyes snapped open and golden orbs replaced the normally dark shade. The scroll in his grasp was crushed into dust as his facial markings turned from red to a similar shade of gold as his eyes. Reaching the edge of the school's boundary, the old Huntsman crouched down like a frog.

"I've been in the need for some exercise." Jiraiya muttered before he shot up into the sky, leaving a large crater in his wake.

* * *

"Ugh, god, what the hell was that?" Haku asked again once he and his team lost the haze that had overcome them, completely unaware of the dramatic tension soon to unfold around them. He chanced a glance over the edge and grimaced. "Oh dammit..."

"Wow, Haku swore. Never thought I'd see the day," Sasuke said lowly. He followed Haku's gaze and joined him in grimacing. "Shit, look at how many there are..."

"Residue malice must've brought them – Nevermore!" Kurama called out, the four teens dropping to the back to the roof to avoid being plucked up by the shrieking Grimm as it soared overhead. Naruto got to his feet, held his hand out, aimed at the retreating airborne Grimm, and took out the creature with a focused beam of aura.

"Ha! Nailed it!" Naruto grinned widely. He was rewarded with a sharp Charlie-horse courtesy of the staff that belonged to only Faunus on his team, which resulted in the blond crumpling to the ground with his hands on his knees. "Gah! Dick!"

"That is for not listening to me when I said we weren't far enough!" Kurama snarled. He moved to the edge of the building and began to pick off Grimm, grumbling under his breath with each shot.

"Would one of you please answer my question?" Haku asked, annoyed that some sort of very powerful anti-Grimm weapon of mass destruction had momentarily deafened him.

"That, Haku, was the Beast Bomb." Sasuke answered. He took down another Beowolf that had begun to climb up the side of the building they had perched on before he continued. "It's powered by all the negative feelings of the one who creates it, and being a discriminated Faunus, you could say that Kurama has a good source of negative feelings."

"Understatement of the century," Kurama said under his breath. He picked off an Ursa with a few centered shots aimed at its left eye. Haku stepped up beside him and fired down at the horde.

"And the explosion?" Haku asked.

"I'm not familiar on the technical jargon, but I know that it's based off of a semblance that my father witnessed in his youth, back during the end of the Faunus Revolution." Kurama explained. "He was among many who survived a massive Grimm attack because of that one semblance, but the one who used it died soon after, their aura drained and killed by a radical racist."

"Go humanity, way to promote equality." Naruto mock cheered with a fist raised. He fired a beam of aura down at a Deathstalker that was preparing to launch a boulder with its tail. The scorpion-like Grimm let out a shrill squeal as its back was roasted by Naruto's aura.

"Hence why the attack is called a 'Beast Bomb.'" Kurama summarized.

"I see," Haku said with a nod. "Because it's a slur thrown at Faunus was 'beast', by using that term in an attack of such proportions, it would make those who witness it hesitant to use the slur."

"Exactly." Kurama nodded. He picked off another Ursa and turned when he saw several more Bullheads heading for a specific courtyard a block or so away. "Hey, ten lien says the main breach is over that way."

"Fool's bet." Naruto scoffed. He cracked his knuckles and let his semblance flare up to the point his body was almost releasing flickers of aura. "Wanna sneak over or have some fun?"

"Do you have to ask?" Sasuke smirked as he began to spark lightly.

"Haku and I will cover from the roofs," Kurama said, and Haku nodded in agreement.

"Awesome. Which side you want, Sasuke? Meat, or potatoes?" Naruto asked, gesturing to the larger Grimm on the right (Ursa and Creeps of various ages and a few Deathstalkers) first and then to the smaller Grimm (Beowolves, smaller Creeps and Borbatusks).

"I think I've had my share of protein earlier," Sasuke smirked. He gestured to the edge. "After you, fearless leader."

"Why thank you." Naruto grinned. He jumped off the edge with a backflip into a dive. "Banzai!"

"Show off." Sasuke mumbled. He hopped over the edge simply, firing a few arrows in his descent.

Kurama shook his head and turned to Haku. "Get over to the other building and make me a bridge to climb across with your whip."

"Are you sure you don't want me to help –?"

"Hey, my tail allows me better balance than most of you hairless monkeys have," Kurama said with a smirk. "Maybe not on Sun's level, but definitely more than Sasuke's, and he can run across it."

"Fair enough." Haku conceded and backed into a mirror to appear on the building he was told to go to. He glanced down at the sea of Grimm and looked to his teammates that chose to take the low ground.

The two rivals had landed on the edge of the horde, with Naruto's impact making the few nearby Grimm pause and observe the two cautiously. These Grimm were obviously not newborns like the last massive group was, as they were covered in white boney armor and left very little room for gaps in their defense. The two teens smirked, with the blond already starting to glow while his semblance amped up and the raven-haired teen sparking in anticipation.

"First to the finish owes the other a lunch?" Sasuke asked while he shifted Amaterasu back into a sword.

"Sounds fair to me." Naruto agreed with a nod. He looked up at the building's rooftop. "Hey, Kurama! Wanna start a race?"

"Yeah, sure! It's not like we're doing anything _that_ important!"

Kurama's sarcasm flew into Naruto's ear and was shot out like a rocket from the other, the leader's excitement at the prospect of having a contest that wouldn't result in suspension making him numb to such traits.

"C'mon! It'll be fun! If I win, Sasuke will have to buy us all lunch!"

"That wasn't part of the bet!"

"Okay, if I lose I have to buy you guys lunch, too!"

"Hm... I get a free meal either way. Eh, what the hell," Kurama said. He took a few carefully aimed shots at the nearest Grimm to keep them at bay before he cleared his voice. "Ready...!"

Naruto grinned and brought his left hand up, the right curled into a fist with his elbow at his side.

"Set...!"

Sasuke flipped Amaterasu around to hold it in reverse, black arcs of electricity starting to dance along the blade as he bent his knees.

" _Go_!"

The two teens rushed into the horde of Grimm.

Violence and chaos soon followed.

* * *

Naruto's first step shattered the sidewalk he pressed off of, which gave him a slight advantage over Sasuke's normal sprint. However, Naruto was stuck with the 'meat' of the horde, a huge disadvantage considering the Grimm were easily the size of at least a car or at most, in the case of the single Deathstalker, a Bullhead. Not that this bothered Naruto all that much. He was a Huntsman by nature, had the blood of warriors in his veins, and the challenge excited him. It wasn't often he got to use his semblance to boost his strength to ten times that of a normal human, after all. Granted, that was usually because of the consequence in doing so: exhaustion. Once Naruto started to 'burn' his body to the tenth 'degree' or further, he burned through his massive reserves _fast_ , which left him tired or, in rare instances, unconscious. Aura could only do so much, after all, and, though Naruto was a natural bouncing ball of energy _without_ his semblance, he had limits like any other person.

Naruto pumped aura through his elbows, where the vent was located to give him an increase in speed. His gaze was locked on the main obstacle in his path, the big bad Deathstalker that had thrown a rock earlier. It shrieked at him defiantly and lifted its pincer in preparation to catch the blond, but then Naruto cut the aura he sent to the vents and quickly sent a large burst through his palms. The propulsion lifted Naruto off the ground high enough to clear the pincers.

Naruto curled his right hand into a tight fist and used another burst through his elbow vent to rapidly spin himself in the air, which caused the descending stinger to be deflected. This left the Deathstalker's head completely unprotected and allowed Naruto to, while still spinning, drill his fist through its mask. The squeal of pain that escaped the Deathstalker was loud and shattered whatever glass remained after the Beast Bomb had gone off.

Naruto's fist became stuck in the Deathstalker's carcass, causing him to rapidly lose his spin. He fell onto his stomach and groaned. That stunt had made him _far_ too dizzy.

"Worst. Idea. Ever." Naruto mumbled as he got back to his feet, a bit lightheaded. It felt like his brain hadn't stopped spinning and he swayed from side to side with each step he made. Add the growls, snarls and roars of the surrounding Grimm and...Oh, that's right.

Grimm.

 _Man, I chose the_ worst _times to try new things..._ Naruto thought as an Ursa tackled him into the side of a building.

Needless to say, Naruto's head wasn't spinning anymore.

* * *

Sasuke raced through the Grimm ranks and cut down the many 'potatoes' he took for himself. They might usually end up with draws whenever they sparred, but in races, Sasuke had Naruto beat. Especially when there were obstacles. Naruto was bullheaded and powered through most of his obstacles, he showed finesse and agility when it was needed, but he failed to grasp the reasoning behind some of them. Sometimes it wasn't how you conquered something, it was how you avoided confronting it. Not the best philosophy, but Sasuke wasn't trying to teach or learn philosophy when he finally understood this lesson.

During obstacle races in Kon Academy, Sasuke wanted to win, to have the best time and score.

Sasuke wanted, no, he _needed_ to be _the_ best so that he could go after that man.

Itachi.

Ironically, the man he hated more than any other on Remnant was mostly the reason that Sasuke was as good as he was. Sasuke would tackle a problem like he believed Itachi would, and it was through this method of thought that brought Sasuke to the top of the class, able to analyze and determine situations in the blink of an eye. Granted, that was expected of any Uchiha Huntsman (prior to Itachi's incident) by most of the people in Kon. It was hard to try and live up to that kind of expectation, doubly so when Sasuke's father was 'blessed' with a natural Huntsman such as Itachi (who graduated from Kon's academy at the young age of seven, graduated from Shade Academy at age ten, then became a rising star in Vacuo by age fifteen) and then bore the second 'average' son.

In a way, Sasuke's desire to be the best was also a way to throw his father's expectations back in his father's face.

But, that is a mental evaluation best left for another time.

"Already at the corner, Uzumaki!" Sasuke shouted over his shoulder.

"Screw off, Duck – Oi! I'm not talking to _you_!" A loud pained roar was followed by a massive bang, presumably from a wall's collapse.

Sasuke shook his head, his small grin still on his face. Naruto was a dumbass, but at least he was a determined dumbass. The amusement and exhilaration Sasuke felt vanished once he went around the bend. He skidded to a stop once as he came across a shocking sight. Words failed to leave his lips and sounds started to become muted as, for a brief moment, his eyes locked with familiar red eyes belonging to another. The owner of the eyes absentmindedly retracted a blade from the chest of an ancient Ursa, covered in spines and boney armor, and turned towards him.

Raven locks pulled back into a loose ponytail, falling only to the shoulders. Facial features that were more mature and a tad slightly more hardened than Sasuke's own, but still very similar in structure, being one of masculine beauty. The man was tall, easily an inch or so shorter than Professor Ozpin, who was tall in his own right. He wore a dark trench coat that bore a singular red mushroom-like cloud on the right shoulder, and in the hand that barely popped out from that sleeve was a hook-sword, presumably half of a set. It was easily three feet long and gleamed in the daylight. A marking that Sasuke could faintly make out was enough to draw one word from his lips.

"Susanoo..." Sasuke glanced back up at the red eyes belonging to the owner of the sword. His grip tightened around Amaterasu and black sparks danced over his eyes. At this, the man made a sound of interest.

"I believe father misnamed our weapons, perhaps you should bear the Susanoo." His voice was low and smooth, but his gaze, though seemingly disinterested, was intense.

"...Itachi..." Sasuke began to tremble. Every bone, every vessel of blood, every ounce of aura, were screaming for him to attack. Now. He was here. But his mind knew, Sasuke _knew_ , that stopping the Grimm was far more important than any confrontation.

The man, Itachi, arched a brow and glanced behind Sasuke.

"There's far too many for me to enthrall. I hadn't expected this many, but perhaps, for my situation, it's for the best." Itachi mused. He slipped Susanoo into a custom-crafted holster on the left interior of his coat and then rested his hand at his side. "I had not anticipated seeing you, little brother. I'm sure you are barely withholding your rage. That is wise. You are nowhere near strong enough to kill me."

"...I want answers." Sasuke growled. He almost snapped when Itachi poked him in the forehead.

"Impatience and selfishness were always your greatest weaknesses, little brother," Itachi said as he lowered his hand to his side. "We will have our time to fight, but it is not the time now. The Tin Man comes with his tinker toys, and its best for both of us if I'm not here when that happens."

Itachi took a step forward, stopping once he stood beside his younger brother.

"Word to the wise, if you value the safety of your friends..." Itachi's eyes met with Sasuke's and flashed a darker shade for the briefest of seconds. "You _will_ stay out of the Fourth War's way."

Before any retort could be made, Itachi then exploded into a swarm of miniature Nevermores, which disoriented Sasuke with shrieks, caws and loud flaps of wings. The teenager shielded his face with his arm and peeked out through a small crack. His eye narrowed and a scowl crossed his face as he lowered his arm. Sasuke stood before a pavilion of Grimm that were slowly turning into black wisps, the fresh kills done with unique cuts only caused by a blade tipped with a hook.

"...Sorry, _Big Brother_ ," Sasuke said, spitting the words out with distaste as he crushed a Borbatusk's head beneath his sparking foot. "But your warnings mean jack to me."

"Ha! Finally caught...up...to..." Naruto trailed off as he came to a stop next to the raven-haired teen. The blond, now clad in the remains of what was his shirt and torn pants, scratched his head. "Damn, Sasuke...If you did all this then why didn't you head over to the next square?"

"...Felt like giving you a handicap." Sasuke replied before he ran towards the next corner.

"Wha-You freaking dick! I don't need a damn handicap!" Naruto snapped, outraged at the thought, before he ran after his teammate.

They came to a stop in the middle of the courtyard when a loud _whoosh_ demanded their attention. Airships, easily capable of being their own islands, hovered overhead. Painted on the side was the white symbol of Atlas.

"...Well, if Atlas chose and opportune time to invade Vale, it's now." Sasuke muttered.

"Maybe it's temporary support against the Grimm," Naruto said optimistically as his Semblance dwindled down into nothing. He panted slightly and wiped off sweat with the back of his hand. "I mean, I love this job, don't get me wrong, but damn...is it exhausting. At least it's over for now."

"...Yeah," Sasuke said distantly. "It's over...for now."

* * *

 **AN: Wow, this was a hard chapter to finish. Not because I wasn't sure what was going to happen, please, give me some credit. I mean, damn...Finals week sucks...It** _ **really**_ **sucks. But, hey, on the bright side: ITACHI! Arguably the second most beloved deceased character in the** _ **Naruto**_ **series (defeated only by Jiraiya IMHO), Itachi is finally here, but why? What's his purpose?**

 **Tell me your speculations!**

 **REQROW!**


	25. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXV: Aftermath**

* * *

" _...General Ironwood will be in charge of the defense for the Vytal Festival_." A shadowed member of the Council of Vale decreed to the three men within the Beacon Headmaster's office. The cleanup performed by Ironwood's mechanized forces was fast and efficient, which allowed for many of the students sent out to help defend the city to be recalled to recover.

General Ironwood stood straighter. "I will do my best."

" _We know. ...And Jiraiya? Do stop sticking your nose in places it doesn't belong._ "

"Mm, I'll think about it," Jiraiya said from where he leaned against the wall. The smirk that was on his face fell when the holographic screens disappeared. "'Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong.' Tch, typical councils. At least the Vacoan Council is willing to show their face to someone when they completely undermine their authority to another nation."

"I wish it didn't have to be that way, but I warned you, Ozpin-"

"James," Ozpin cut the General off with a tired stare. He turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya. Please, if the both of you would...give me a moment."

"...Fair enough." Ironwood nodded and turned to leave. Jiraiya remained silent as he followed the general out.

The doors shut behind them with a soft click and the lights in the room brightened slightly. Ozpin sat down into his chair and used one hand to conceal his face. Ironwood was right, he'd been warned.

"...That was a really stupid move on your part, Ozpin." A familiar voice said from the small shadow in the corner of the room.

"Yes, I'm well aware, thank you." Ozpin sighed and looked up from his hand to glare lightly at the man before him. "Why are you here?"

"What? Last time you welcomed me with open arms! Speaking of which," the shadowed figure folded his arms over his chest. "Why are those brats still in your school?"

"...In case you haven't noticed, there're bigger issues to worry about." Ozpin dryly retorted.

"Psh, this? Please, this is nothing compared to what's coming," the mysterious figure said with a wave of his hand. Ozpin glared at him once again.

"If you'd tell me-!"

"Come now, Ozpin, you know I can't." The figure scoffed. "It'd be a breach of The Order's decree."

"To Hell with the Order!" Ozpin shot from his seat. "If you can't tell me what is coming, then the least you could do is have the courtesy to tell me why you've come to kick me while I'm down!"

"Because, Almighty Ozpin," the man said, unfazed by the outburst. A small smirk spread across his face. "If I don't do it, then who will? After all, a wall can only become stronger each time it's rebuilt."

"...Get out of my office." Ozpin bit out, his hand tightly gripping his cane as he glared at the visitor.

"You'll understand one day, Ozpin." The guest chuckled as he disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

About halfway down to the main floor, Jiraiya hit the emergency stop switch on the elevator. The casket stopped halfway between floors and the lights dimmed slightly. His fellow elevator rider closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Lord Jiraiya, you know as well as I do that had I not acted-" Two fingers pressed around the General's larynx, silencing him instantly as air was cut from his lungs.

"Your job right now, _Jimmy_ , is to listen. So shut up, stand at attention and if you so much as _blink_ without my say-so, Atlas will be down a general and headmaster, capisce?" Jiraiya asked lowly as he towered over Ironwood.

Unable to breathe or speak out against the action, all Ironwood could do was nod his cooperation.

"Good." Jiraiya removed his fingers from the General's neck, which made the man gasp and rub his throat. Ignoring the dirty look sent his way by the General, Jiraiya glared down at him. "Now listen and listen good. I don't care about you undermining Ozpin like a douchebag, because let's face it, you're from Mantle, that's how most of you are."

Ironwood did nothing more than narrow his eyes further, which allowed Jiraiya to continue uninterrupted.

"I don't even care about you coming in and swinging your dick around like you own the joint. What I do care about, and listen closely, Jimmy because this is important, what I _do_ care about is my godson's safety. If your show of force or any top secret Atlesian weapon 'stolen' by the White Fang or Fourth War causes damage that threatens him in any way..."

Jiraiya's eyes and 'tears' turned gold and the air in the room became heavy. The General visibly strained to remain upright and had to work on keeping his breathing even. Jiraiya lifted a hand up, a finger extended, and Ironwood grimaced when it poked him in the chest.

"I will, and follow me on this, personally, maliciously, and _slowly_ destroy your precious Atlas from the inside _out_. Are we clear on that? _General_?"

"C-Crystal... _Sir_." Ironwood grit out, loathing the stutter that left his mouth. The weight and tension in the air vanished so fast it was like a switch was flipped. Jiraiya's eyes and 'tears' returned to their normal colors and a smile spread across his face.

"I'm glad to hear that we understand one another!" Jiraiya said boisterously. He clapped Ironwood on the shoulder and turned the elevator back on. The elder man whipped his notepad out and began to scribble notes in it, whistling a jaunty tune while he did.

* * *

Ironwood fixed his suit and stepped out once the elevator came to a stop, his pace a bit faster than normal. If one were to look closely, they'd see a bead of sweat on the side of his head. The good General knew that Jiraiya meant every word he'd said, this is the man who was reported to have threatened to kill one of his old teammates in a public restaurant if they threatened to betray Vacuo back during the skirmish with Vale. He demonstrated his severity by killing what was supposedly a well-placed mole by Vale's then Head Councilman, who'd long since been replaced. The poor waiter was barely out of his teens and according to the autopsy, the ...remains were very hard to remove from the wood.

So, it was with a bunch of concealed, but very much shaken nerves that General James Ironwood returned to his school/military's main airship to update some personal files. Once he was back within his quarters and seated at his private computer, he edited a dossier that he'd created as soon as he got to Beacon.

Team Name: N. H. K. S. (KNOX)

Affiliation: Unknown (Vacuo/Vale?)

Members:

Naruto Uzumaki – Leader/Frontline

Haku Yuki – Support/Espionage

Kurama Ōtsutsuki – Support/Intelligence

Uchiha Sasuke – Support/Mid-Long Ranged

Notes:

Uzumaki:

Son of "Thunder God" Minato Namikaze and "Bloody Death" Kushina Uzumaki.

Godson to "Toad Sage" Jiraiya.

Semblance: Capable of enhancing physical abilities to unknown levels.  
Primary Weapon: Gauntlets, Unknown Origin.

Threat Level: Alpha.

Yuki:

Parentage Unknown.

Raised and trained by "The Demon Butcher" Momochi Zabuza, known assassin.

Semblance: (Presumably) inter-dimensional transportation.

Primary Weapon: Scrapped N2DRX "Needler" Prototype of Mistral. (Presumed) stolen by Momochi.

Threat level: Alpha.

Ōtsutsuki:

Ninth Son of "Monk Staff" Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. Faunus.

Semblance: Unknown.

Weapon: Multi-form Staff.

Threat Level: Alpha.

Uchiha:

Son of Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto.

Brother (Younger) of Uchiha Itachi, wanted terrorist/murderer in all four Kingdoms.

Semblance: Creation/Manipulation of Electricity/Lightning. Extent unknown.

Weapon: Sword/Compact Bow

Threat Level: Alpha.

Orders: Avoid confrontation/conflict at all costs. Retreat-on-conflict: INDISPUTABLE.

Ironwood leaned back and looked over his work carefully. Some of this information would be provided to the team that faced off against NHKS. Primarily their backgrounds, as little as there were: Ōtsutsuki's status as a Faunus would be enough for some students, and it was all they had right now; the Uchiha's family tree was well known across remnant, with the boy's older brother becoming a new boogeyman for a younger generation; and Yuki's history with The Demon Butcher of Vacuo would be more than enough to make his students and soldiers wary.

But it was the team leader's lineage he'd have to redact and conceal, file away within the privacy of his personal notes. Ironwood bit on the tip of his thumb. He couldn't risk anyone learning anything about arguably the most dangerous member of the team, lest he give Jiraiya a _reason_ to start a new internal war.

With a heavy sigh, James Ironwood entered the proper codes to classify and redact the information highlighted.

 _The needs of the many_...He thought bitterly.

Oh well, it wasn't like any of his students held a grudge against Minato or Kushina.

...Perhaps he should perform a quick background check, just to be sure.

* * *

"So...You going to say anything in your defense?" Jiraiya asked. After he scared the Atlesian general shitless, Jiraiya made a detour over to the detention center where Roman Torchwick was being held. The criminal was seated on the other side of a bolted down table, his arms and legs bound with aura-cancelling cuffs. He looked a bit roughed up, but otherwise fine.

"Nah. What's the point? I'm guilty of everything," Roman said, a smirk on his face. "Kidnapping, conspiracy, theft, and, this one's my favorite, war crimes. What's the point in trying to get out of it?"

"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, Torchwick." Jiraiya pointed out. The criminal barked out a laugh.

"Who are you, my lawyer? C'mon, buddy, this isn't my first time in the interrogation room. Bring in the bad cop already," Roman said. An open packet of cigarettes was slid over to him and he arched a brow. "Oh, bribery funds. How kind."

"You want to light one up now or would you rather save them for when you drop the soap?" Jiraiya asked. Torchwick rolled his eyes and, with fumbling fingers, pulled a stick out and put it in his mouth. Jiraiya twisted his hand, revealing a pack of matches, and snapped one off. The match was quickly ignited and used to light the cigarette that hung from the criminal's lips. Torchwick took a long drag and bent his head down so he could use one hand to remove the smoke from his mouth.

"Cheap, but it's better than nicotine withdrawal." He muttered. The smoke was placed back into his mouth and another drag was taken before he looked at the stony faced old man seated across from him. "So what do you want to know?"

"Well, the secret to eternal youth would be nice."

"Don't we all want that?" Roman chuckled. "C'mon, don't jerk me around here, what do you want? A confession? A deal? My life?"

"In a hurry?" Jiraiya asked.

"Let's just say as soon as this little convo is over, I'm getting a ride over to Atlas to receive the 'finest' of my peers to try me," Roman said with a snort. "I've got a lifetime of cold nights and stone walls to mentally prepare for, so if you'd be so kind."

"Fair enough." Jiraiya leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "I know for a fact that you've been in contact with the real brains behind the Breach."

"Oh, really? You know this for a _fact_?" Roman asked with his smirk plastered on his face. "According to the General, _I'm_ the one behind it all. He's got me, crime _has_ to stop!"

"Crime will stop...In Vale. For a while." Jiraiya agreed. He smirked. "But just because it's called 'crime' doesn't mean it's all bad. Some of the worst things done on Remnant were done with the best intentions in mind."

"...Oh, this is the offer, huh? Alright, I'll humor you." Roman chuckled. He took a drag of his cigarette. "Hypothetically, let's say there _was_ another, smarter, person scheming in the background and that I was just a front-man. If, hypothetically, I was to reveal who that person was, I'd still have to concern myself with the backlash from them. They've got both the White Fang and the Fourth War backing them. So, weighing my options, I could either risk going up against both groups for the chance to go on some Vacoan approved sprees of the criminal sort _or_ I could spend the rest of my life in a secure Atlesian prison, where I would be fed three meals a day, get my bedding laundered, and have a chance at parole a decade or so later."

Roman held his hands out like a scale and bounced them from side to side before he laughed.

"Take your offer and shove it, Grandpa! What do you take me for, an idiot?"

"Yep." Jiraiya chirped as he stood up and went to the door. He stopped, his hand hovering over the door control. "Oh, and for the record, I just wanted to confirm my source's identity of this mastermind. Shame you couldn't do that and chose to go to prison. Enjoy your trip, Mr. Torchwick."

"Yeah, I pl...I pla..."

Roman slumped forward suddenly. He was foaming at the mouth and his eyes rolled into his head while his body began to convulse. Jiraiya paid this no mind and stepped out of the interrogation room, giving a brief nod to the 'officers' that stood outside the door.

"I'd get him to a medic, if I were you. That's not normal."

* * *

"Roman Torchwick is missing?!"

"Thank you, Ruby, for screaming out what I just said," Kurama said dryly to the youngest member of their little group from where he sat in his recliner, reading the morning news on his Scroll.

With the Breach aftermath being taken care of by the teachers and their respective guardians, teams RWBY, JNPR and NHKS had gathered together in the recreation room of their dorm building to relax after a long, long few days. Yang and Naruto occupied the loveseat on the right, comfortably seated together – or, rather, Yang lying atop Naruto– while they watched Sasuke, Jaune, Ruby and Nora (all seated on the floor) play one of the many fighting games Ruby had brought with her. Reading novels were Weiss and Blake, who sat on the couch and the former's legs were used by Ruby as a pillow. Pyrrha took the other seat beside Blake, reading an X-Ray and Vav comic she snagged from Jaune, while Haku and Ren sat on the other couch, watching the gamers and awaiting their turn.

Kurama wiggled a finger in his ear. "Damn, why does every girl I have to know have a set of lungs?"

"Velvet doesn't." Haku pointed out.

"That we know of. Ten lien says his Velvet Cake is a screamer," Sasuke said. He ducked under a tossed cushion, a smirk on his face.

"I'll take that bet." Naruto offered. "Twenty says she's silent and squirty."

The blond got a whack upside the head from Yang, who was still a tad miffed by the events that occurred toward the end of his team's mission with the cashier – as well as his willingness to be swallowed hole not once, but _twice_ by monster worms. She made sure Naruto had scrubbed his teeth and showered before giving him any kisses. Monster gunk residue was not something she wanted to risk tasting. Ever.

"Thank you," Kurama said with a nod to Yang, who nodded back before she gave Naruto a look.

"The only girl you should be wondering those sorts of things about is me, Whisker Boy." Yang muttered while she readjusted herself from where she lay to get a better view of the game.

"Believe me, I do." Naruto whispered heatedly into his girlfriend's ear. She grinned and they shared a quick peck, which made most of the group roll their eyes.

"Gross!" Ruby stuck her tongue out in disgust and then squawked in outrage when she was killed by Nora's character's hammer. "Aw, darn!"

"Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The pancake addict cackled gleefully. "And then there was three..."

"Not this time, Nora!" Jaune declared valiantly. His thumbs blurred on the controller and he narrowed his eyes in concentration. He grinned wildly when his actions resulted in a special move being displayed, a move that took Nora's character out in a violent and gory mess. "Ah-ha! Victory!"

"Nooo! Pancake Queen!" Nora wailed. She glared at Jaune. "You murdered her! Now how shall she reclaim her castle? All of her people will starve at the hands of the Waffle King!"

"Damn right." Sasuke smirked. He took Jaune out with a basic move that wiped the smile off his face. "Nobody touches the waffles."

"Oh, come on! That's a crock of-!"

"Oi, PJ, keep it PG, will ya?" Kurama cut off the teen with a smirk on his face. Jaune glared at him.

"Like you're one to talk..." Jaune grumbled.

"Shut up, PJ – Oh god dammit!" Kurama swore.

"What now?" "Hypocrite!" Haku asked and Jaune accused.

"My GriffBall team got destroyed!"

"Your what?" Haku asked again, his brow raised in confusion. Pyrrha looked up from her comic, also a bit confused.

"GriffBall, you know, the sport? Guys run a ball made of leather across a field wearing bright ass colors...Made by a Huntsmen who flunked out of Shade Academy," Kurama explained dryly. He clucked his tongue and his eyebrows knit together in annoyance as his attention returned to his Scroll. "My team got utterly wrecked in their last game."

"...And you care because...?"

"I had a bet with Yatsuhashi on that game." Kurama grumbled. He blinked in surprise when his Scroll beeped. "Hm? What's the Toad want with me?"

Naruto, Sasuke and Haku's Scrolls beeped soon after. The all-male team opened their messages and collectively released heavy sighs. Or, in the team leader's case, a deep groan.

"Ugh, c'mon, man! This's so freakin' unfair," Naruto said with a childish whine. He was still tired from the Breach and the Graboid Hunt. Not to mention his lack of sleep caused by the very intrusive and _unwelcome_ drunk that was his godfather. Bastard continued to moan out different names of different girls, giggle for about a minute straight and then snore so loudly, Naruto was sure that the walls began to cave in on his inhales and expand out on the exhales. Compared to his usual energetic self, Naruto was _exhausted_. He was having a fantastic time just lying on the loveseat with his arms lazily wrapped around Yang, who made for an excellent body pillow.

"Well, you could ignore it..." Jaune trailed off when a shiver went down his spine. He looked around, alarmed by the sudden sensation. "What was that!?"

"Probably an aura of death," Sasuke said dryly. He sighed and dropped his controller before he rose up from his seat on the ground. "Might as well go see what he wants. If it's a spar, maybe we can talk him out of it."

"Yeah, and then Borbatusk will learn to fly," Naruto said with an amused snort. He sluggishly tore himself away from the comfortable cushion and the loveseat he laid on, a look of begrudging acceptance crossing his face in the form of a mild frown.

Yang didn't seemed too pleased by his forced vacancy either, if the small frown on her face was anything to go by. She rolled onto her side and drummed her fingers on the cushion as she watched the four teens leave.

"What's wrong, Yang? Cold without your heated cushion to lay on?" Weiss asked with a small smirk.

"At least I have a heated cushion to lay on."

"Yang: 1, Weiss: 0." Blake muttered and turned the page in her book.

"Who asked you?" Weiss scowled at the catty girl while Yang smirked and held up a victory sign.

* * *

"Ah, good. You showed up! Now I don't have to hunt you all down." Jiraiya grinned widely at the four boys that approached him. He stood up from his seated position, putting his back to the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest, and clapped his hands together. "So, good news and bad news."

"Already I dread this." Naruto mumbled.

"Shut it, brat." Jiraiya mildly glared at his godson before he grinned again. "The good news is the Council of Vale has decided _not_ to sue you for the damages caused by the Beast Bomb."

"...They were going to sue us?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide and his features, along with his teammates', pale. "I...I didn't know they could do that."

"This isn't Vacuo, Naruto," Jiraiya said informatively. "Vale has its appearance and pride, and unlike Vacuo, people come here to sight-see more than they do for work. Plus, any damages caused by the Huntsman or Huntress hired should either be covered by the hirer or they risk losing their cut of pay to cover for it. Remember that, you don't want to learn it the hard way like I did."

"We'll keep that in mind," Kurama said lowly, still coming to terms with nearly being sued for _saving lives_.

"I hope so," Jiraiya said. He waited a moment to let the boys get over the small shock before continuing. "The bad news is they want to ensure it won't happen again. So, since Team KAAG is out patrolling the walls and repairing damages, you boys get to spend some quality time with me in training!"

"...B-But you only train him..." Sasuke muttered weakly, pointing a finger at his team leader, who looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

"Shut up, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped before he looked back at his godfather. "If this is supposed to be bad news, why do you look so happy!?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Jiraiya laughed. He pulled out three small silver bells and three of the four boys paled even further. "We're going back to a classic!"

"...Oh dear Oum in heaven surrounded by holy noodles..."

"You have ...Eh, I'll be generous," Jiraiya said, ignoring his godson, and held up four fingers. "Four hours to get one bell from me. If you do get all three, we get to stop training, but if you don't, we'll just have to start from the beginning. Rules are simple: Come at me with the intent to kill...and I'll go easy on you."

"...Why do I feel like we just signed our own death warrants by showing up?" Haku asked.

"Because we did." Naruto whimpered. He gave up cuddling/napping time for this!? He really was an idiot.

"Training begins now!"

"What?" Haku asked. A gust of wind brushed by him and Haku turned to see his teammates had vanished, a few leaves falling from where they just stood. He started to form a mirror behind him but before he could finish, he doubled over a fist that buried itself in his stomach. Pain, unlike any other, racked through Haku's body and the corners of his vision went dark.

"You weren't ready."

The androgynous boy fell to the ground unconscious and Jiraiya looked down at him.

"That's the student of the Demon Butcher? ...I feel very disappointed," he said, frowning. He shrugged and gently moved the boy onto his back of to the side. Once that was done, Jiraiya looked around and grinned. "Well, one down. Three to go."

* * *

Four hours later and Jiraiya, who hadn't moved from his spot much, looked down at the boys with a smirk on his face.

"I have good news, boys, you're not total shit!" Jiraiya evaluated the four. He was given four pained groans in response. The sage shook his head. "Oh, don't be sore losers!"

"P-Piss off, Toad..." Kurama groaned. He tried to use Ri Kudo to get back to his feet, but his knees gave out and he fell flat to his face. "...Ow..."

Jiraiya glanced over at the only Faunus of the team. He managed to snag a bell once, but lost it when forced to defend himself from Jiraiya's onslaught of retaliation. The elderly Huntsman easily put him in what was the B-Rank of Kon's six-classification-system, SCS. B was easily the third highest rank one could be placed at, and, considering that Jiraiya himself was S-rank, it said a lot about Kurama's skill.

"...Mom...I don't wanna to go to school today..." Sasuke groaned, his vision spinning. Jiraiya chuckled and ranked Sasuke at B as well. He was talented, of that there was no doubt, but his semblance was rather easy to anticipate and react to if he missed his first few initial strikes. Or if you knew the boy as long as you did. And were fast enough.

"I think...I think I forgot how to do math..." Haku, who had awoken at the two-hour mark and joined back in the fight, mumbled. Now, _he_ Jiraiya ranked at A. Yes, Jiraiya did catch him off guard, but even Jiraiya could be caught off guard sometimes. Usually while in the sack or while drunk, but those were rare events in and of themselves. His semblance was _easily_ the most versatile of the three and the least predictable, his weapon was the same. Haku was _the_ biggest problem that his team's enemies would have to worry about, and Jiraiya's first strike was definitely in his favor.

"Hey...I won...you owe me ramen for life..."

Jiraiya laughed once more when he heard his godson's dazed groan. After Haku was taken out, he targeted the sleep deprived huntsman-in-training and showed him absolutely no mercy. It was to see how far Naruto could push himself when at his limits, and unsurprisingly, Naruto would go pretty damn far. He managed to push his semblance to the eighth degree before he succumbed to his exhaustion and passed out mid-punch. Jiraiya just left him where he fell, feeling only the slightest amount of guilt for purposefully keeping him awake the night before, and ranked him somewhere between B and A rank, leaning more towards the latter because of his sheer tenacity in battle.

"I have to say, I'm very surprised by your progress and I'm glad that none of you three let your skills deteriorate too bad while you've been living it up in this fancy-shmancy school," Jiraiya said. He tossed the three bells in his hand and grinned as he caught them on their descent. "That said, we train again tomorrow, same time, same place. So rest up, kiddies!"

A chorus of pitiful groans was their response to him.

Jiraiya smiled and sighed. _Ah, music to my ears._

* * *

"Wow, you look like shit."

Kurama glared dully at the smirking Faunus that sat down across from him. Once he regained feeling in his legs and sought some sort of medical help, Kurama received another message. This one requested he meet with the sender in a restaurant in Vale, and Kurama mustered up the nerve to do just that. However, after sitting down and waiting for twenty minutes, he started to get testy.

"Hello to you too, _Gyuki_."

"Have you ordered yet?" Gyuki asked curiously as he opened a menu.

"...No." Kurama spat out. "I was waiting for you. Being _courteous_."

"Well excuse me. In case you hadn't realized it, a shit ton of Grimm just broke into Vale, the cause behind it is missing, oh, and to top it all off, my idiot little brother used the _one_ thing Dad forbade him to use within city walls," Gyuki said while he set his menu down. He lowered his sunglasses a tad on the bridge of his nose and pure white eyes glared at the younger Faunus. "Care to explain that last bit?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you," Kurama spat. He hesitated for a moment before he pushed his sunglasses up firmly over his eyes. "There was a fucking swarm around us, I thinned the herd."

"And in the process destroyed an entire block!"

"'Sacrifices have to be made to do what's right,' Gyuki." Kurama sneered. "Weren't those your words to Dad before you vanished?"

"Things changed, Kurama."

"Whatever. What do you want?"

"You're the one that wanted to talk after we met...what was it, a month ago now?" Gyuki asked.

"That's not my fault," Kurama said with a scowl.

"I'm sure it wasn't. It's never your fault, Kurama." Gyuki smirked and fixed his sunglasses back over his unique eyes. "You're the pwecious widdle kitten after all."

"Fuck you, Ink Boy."

"Don't you know you're not supposed to be swearing? Should I ring Matatabi up?"

Kurama growled and his tail flicked irritably. Gyuki laughed and sat back in his seat.

"Ah, c'mon, Kurama, lighten up. Listen, I didn't want you to come here to fight," he said. He smiled genuinely. "I want to know how things have been. After...After Dad died...I've been trying to find everyone."

"Well, good luck with that. Two of them went and got themselves killed for the 'cause'," Kurama said bitterly, a scowl on his face.

"I know." Gyuki quietly mumbled.

There was quiet for a moment.

"...Kurama, I know it was hard-"

"You don't know _anything_." Kurama snarled. He grabbed Ri Kudo and used it to help himself back to his feet, out of the stall. "This was a mistake. Go back to work, Gyuki. It's obviously all you care about."

"Kurama!" Gyuki called after him as the Faunus turned and left. The bull-horned Faunus dropped his head into his hand and groaned. "Great, Gyuki. Just great. You fucked it up again. Shouldn't have let him wait...Dammit, I should've known better."

* * *

"...Be safe..." A woman with long dark hair mumbled as she watched Yang Xiao Long walk back towards Beacon, the teenage girl's mind reeling from their conversation. Her eyes closed and a giant red portal opened behind her. Then, on a whim, the portal closed. Her eyes opened and stared at Yang's disappearing back.

"You cannot hide from the one who taught you...Itachi."

"I was merely waiting for her to leave. We cannot be seen together, you know this." The member of the Fourth War stepped from the shadows into the moonlight. He narrowed his eyes. "You had no right to tell her those things, Raven."

"Perhaps not, but it was for the best she knew that among the rest." The woman, Raven, mused. She gripped the handle of her blade tightly and turned to face the young man. "Why have you come here?"

"You _know_ why." Itachi allowed his hooked sword to slowly descend from his sleeve. "Now, will you follow me...or will I have to take drastic measures?"

"...Have you truly no heart, Itachi?" Raven sighed and released her sword's hilt. She couldn't risk it. Not now.

Itachi kept his weapon out and narrowed his eyes as they darkened in color. Raven's eyes became exact copies of his for a brief moment before they fell shut and she slumped forward. Itachi caught her before she fell and he pulled her over his shoulder. He slid his sword back into his sleeve and he turned his back on Beacon. Under his breath, he uttered an answer to the woman's question as he disappeared into the shadows.

"My heart was broken a long, long time ago."

* * *

 **AN: Wow...This was an emotional episode. And WOW,** _ **RWBY**_ **'s mid-season cliffy...I have no words. Though...I know things in this story will not be the same.**

 **REVIEW!**


	26. Eventful Evening

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXVI: Eventful Evening**

* * *

"This is so not fair." Weiss mumbled as she watched Yang prepare herself for a night on the town.

After vanishing the night before for an uncertain period of time, Yang had spent most of the day moping and lazing about, halfheartedly reading articles on her scroll, watching videos on her scroll, and even lazily petting Zwei – who, let's face it, didn't mind that, but Weiss felt it could've been a bit more affectionate to the cute mascot of the team. It was only after her dunce of a boyfriend dropped by and offered to take her out on the town that Yang started to perk up. Now, normally Weiss would be happy for Yang, but, one of the conditions after the event that was called The Breach was that all students would remain at Beacon. Somehow, by some act of God or Oum or whatever Naruto had in his corner, the whiskered boy had gotten an out. An out that Naruto refused to divulge when asked.

So, not only was Yang going out to live it up that night with her significant other, but she was also doing so while supposedly breaking the rules.

Basically, it was a huge, thrilling adventure for the buxom blonde.

And her teammates were going to be stuck in Beacon for all of it.

Needless to say, Weiss was a tad jealous.

"Well, if you asked your badass hunk of a boyfriend, oh right..." Yang grinned at the scowling heiress. "You don't have one."

"And chalk up another point for Yang," Blake said dryly as she turned the page in her now signed edition of _Ninjas of Love_. The Faunus didn't feel as embarrassed to have it in her possession anymore, but she was careful around Kurenai. She heard the woman had burned Sasuke's copy (which was then thankfully replaced by Jiraiya), and didn't want to risk it. Despite what Kurenai and many others thought, the graphic scenes only added to the romantic plot hidden between the lines.

Lecher of the highest order he may be, but Blake was certain that Jiraiya was also a closet romantic.

Weiss sent the Faunus a dour look before she glared back at Yang. "That was so uncalled for."

"Don't care. I'm riding my high as long as I can tonight," Yang said. She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I wonder if I can ride something else, too. Maybe get a hotel room for a night...I have been saving my allowance."

"...Gonna puke." Ruby ducked into the bathroom, Zwei barking and following after her. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration while Blake rolled her eyes.

"She was probably talking about her motorcycle tuned up in a shop," the reading girl said dryly. Blake didn't put it past the blonde to do that and then hold the thoughts of what happened over everyone's heads. Knowing Naruto, who would consider it a great prank of infinite proportions, he'd probably back her up on it.

"Nope. I was being serious." Yang's chirp made Blake choke on her own spit and Weiss' face burned. The blonde turned and shrugged at her teammates' incredulous looks. "What? We've been together for, oh, two months? More? That's long enough, I'd say."

"This is your first date!" Weiss protested.

"Off campus." Yang corrected her with a smirk as she finished putting on what she called her 'Hunter' outfit. "Whisker Boy and I have had plenty of dates during class."

"...Is that why you keep disappearing during lunch!?" Ruby asked as she walked out of the bathroom, the toilet draining behind her. Zwei trotted out a second later, panting happily as can be.

"And the classes after? Oh yeah. We've had three movie dates and about a dozen lunch dates," Yang said proudly. They hadn't been caught skipping once, either, so that was a boost to her pride. She went into the bathroom to double check her makeup. "If he pulls a classic on me and takes me to dinner, I think we'd have hit all the marks on the list."

"...You do plan to be safe, right?" Blake asked, peeking over her book.

"Well, _duh_." Yang rolled her eyes. Contrary to what many believed, she wasn't a brainless beauty. She knew that the chance for involuntary reproduction during one's first time making the Grimm with two backs was just as high as any other time. She walked out of the bathroom as she began to brush her hair. "I don't want to be a mom yet, and I'm pretty sure Naruto's not ready to be a father."

"Understatement of the century," Weiss said with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, Dad probably wouldn't like it if you became a mom so soon." Ruby nodded and Zwei barked his agreement as they sat down next to Weiss.

"Dad is _so_ not one to talk." Yang mumbled to herself as she reflected on the conversation she had the night before. Apparently, her beloved, protective goof of a father tried to change her diaper once and somehow got the used one on his head. Switching hands, Yang smiled and closed her eyes. "But, that outcome aside, yeah, I think we're ready."

"...Well, it's your relationship." Blake conceded and disappeared back into the realm of budding romance between Nimato and Koo-Sheena.

"Darn right it is." Yang set her brush on her dresser and faced her team, her hands on her hips. "Well? Do I look _Yang_ -able or what?"

Her teammates groaned at the pun. Zwei laid down and covered his eyes with his paws. Their answer made Yang grin.

"You girls wish you looked this good."

* * *

"I didn't even know I had this shirt," Naruto said as he looked at the azure long-sleeved V-neck that clung to his torso like a second skin. In place of his normal baggy black and orange hoodie was a more stylistic rustic orange jacket, left unzipped to compliment Naruto's roguish handsomeness (he was not cute!). Comfortably fitted dark pants covered his legs – apparently they accented his "greatest _ass_ et," in Coco's words, whatever that meant – which were held up by a stylish belt while his home's traditional combat sandals protected his feet.

"Trust me, I had to _dig_ to find it. You have way too much orange and black, Naruto." Coco complained. Upon hearing through the grapevine of gossip (Kurama) about her little brother's planned night on the town, the leader of Team CFVY made it her duty to make him look good. It was really a challenge that she felt obligated to take, and considering her success with Fox and his own orange fetish, Coco knew it would be difficult, but doable.

"I've said it before, I'll say it again: Damn, you clean up good, stupid." Kurama grinned from where he and Velvet sat on his bed. The rabbit-eared Faunus gave him a small nudge and he shrugged. "What? I say it with love."

"I-it's still not nice," Velvet said with a frown.

"Bah, he's thick skinned. Trust me, Vel, I've called him worse."

"Yeah, thanks for that, Fuzzbutt." Naruto mumbled. He ducked under the book that was thrown his way and grinned at the scowling Faunus. "Ha! Missed me!"

"Kurama, you probably shouldn't start a fight after Coco spent so much time playing dress up with her Naruto-Doll." Sasuke warned, a smirk plastered on his face. Kurama snickered while Naruto glowered at him and Coco nodded.

"Pretty Boy's got a point," she said while she tried to fix the mess that was Naruto's hair. Coco frowned in disapproval when she couldn't do anything. "Man, what did Goodwitch use to straighten your hair?"

"Hey, don't touch the do!" Naruto slid back and away from Coco with his hands on his head. "The do is what makes this package work!"

"It could be shorter," Haku said thoughtfully. His teammates looked at him and he shrugged. "What? It could."

"...So, ignoring my teammate's opinion–"

"Hurtful." Haku frowned.

"Deal with it," Naruto continued despite Haku's interjection. He dropped his hands into his pockets. "Anyway, since I've got, oh...ten minutes to kill, any words of advice – Not from _you_ , Kurama."

"You try to help a guy and this is how he treats you."

"She dumped a salad on my head!"

"...So, she tossed her own salad?"

"See what I deal with?" Naruto asked the smirking Coco while Kurama snickered at his own joke. Sasuke and Haku were stifling laughter and Velvet was bright red.

"I feel so bad for you." Coco replied with faux sympathy. She put her hand on Naruto's shoulder and turned him towards the door. "First bit of advice. Always arrive a tad bit early, it shows you're eager and excited."

"Right, anything else?"

"Try and make this as proper a date as you can, who knows when we'll get the Vale visitation rights back?" Coco asked. She, like Naruto's team, knew exactly how he was going to get out of Beacon and, considering the reason behind it, supported him completely. "Only use your tongue if she starts it, try not to fidget or play with your eating utensils, compliment her looks and most importantly..."

Coco turned Naruto around and stared him dead in the eye.

"Don't. Order. Ramen."

"...You can't be serious."

"Don't order it, Naruto. I mean it."

"B-But-!"

"No butts!" Coco cut him off sternly. "This girl really likes you Naruto, and I don't know what your previous girlfriends, if any, thought, but I'm fairly certain they weren't fans of watching you inhale gallons of ramen at dinner."

A building away, a mint-haired girl suddenly sneezed into her partner's face. While the silver haired teen freaked out over the germs, a raven-haired woman laughed uproariously.

"Well, when you put it that way," Naruto said with a frown on his face. A begrudging sigh escaped his lips and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "I guess she's worth it."

"Good boy. Now, if you're not coming back please do let one of these idiots know," Coco said, gesturing with her thumb at Naruto's teammates.

"Hey!" Kurama and Sasuke protested whereas Haku took it with stride.

"Yeah, sure...All right, well, better go now while the window is still open." Naruto mused. He left the dorm room and the door shut behind him, leaving Coco and Velvet in the room with his team. Coco then turned to Kurama and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, when are you going to take my little cupcake out and make her into an honest woman?"

"C-COCO!" Velvet shrieked while Kurama suddenly paled.

* * *

"So, this is romantic." Yang mused as she followed her boyfriend through the shadows around Beacon's garden towards the gate that would let them get to Vale. They'd already snuck across rooftops, with Naruto showing an interesting amount of acrobatics – something Yang filed away for later – and talent with what he called 'ninja' rope – yet another thing Yang filed away for later.

"Hey, you've got a walk in the moonlight through Beacon's gardens, and then dinner at a cozy little joint that needed reservations. I'd say that's romantic," Naruto said with a glance over his shoulder. He looked ahead just as Yang's eyes dropped down to admire his backside.

"Well, you're right." Yang's smile grew slightly as she took in the way his jeans fit his rock hard rear. "The scenery is nice."

"Yeah, the flowers that Prof. O has here are well cared for." Naruto nodded, oblivious to her words' true meaning. "That's another thing I wouldn't mind doing the rest of my life."

"Gardening?"

"Yeah, I like to garden. Got a bit of a green thumb. Heard one day plants liked being talked to, and, well, life alone tends to be pretty quiet...at least that way I didn't seem insane."

"...We're sneaking _out_ of one of Remnant's most esteemed academies for huntsmen and huntresses."

"I do my best to spoil y-Hold up, Atlesian patrol." Naruto mumbled and came to a stop. Two of the Atlesian soldiers assigned to guard the academy walked by, muttering about droids malfunctioning. Naruto held his hand up and counted down from three to zero before he hurried across the path to gathering of large bushes, which he promptly ducked down into. Yang rushed after him and crouched beside him.

"This is a great date, Whisker Boy," she whispered. "We're already eating bush together."

"Wait until dessert. You'll love my salted _nuts_."

Yang snickered and followed her smirking boyfriend to the main gate, where he promptly turned and cupped his hands in front of him.

"Ladies first," Naruto said with a grin. Yang sauntered up to him and put a foot in his hands while her hands pressed on his shoulders.

"My, aren't you the gentleman?" She asked with smile. A quick peck on the lips was given to her beau. "See you on the other side, Whisker Boy."

"Brace yourself." Naruto warned before he tossed Yang up. She landed on the other side of the fence and turned back to him.

"So, who's going to throw you?" Yang asked. Naruto leaned against the fence and winked at her before he nodded over at a nearby gathering of trees.

"Meet you over there in five minutes. Keep me waiting and I'm ditching your fine ass."

"Oh my ass is fine, huh?" Yang asked with a smirk.

"Four minutes, forty-three seconds."

"You think you're _so_ smart."

"Bah, I'm not smart," Naruto said. He grinned widely and held up his right hand. "But I _am_ clever. Spotlights are going to light me up in three, two..."

On cue, a few large beams of light illuminated the two teens. A bullhorn sounded and multiple robotic foot soldiers rushed into lines, weapons aimed at the two.

" _Halt! Put your hands above your head and identify yourself!_ "

"...I hate how you can do that." Yang mumbled.

"Three minutes, twenty-three seconds," Naruto said with a smirk plastered on his face. He stole a kiss from her before he glanced at the trees that he pointed out earlier. "Might want to get that fine ass moving."

"You are so lucky that you're cute."

"Three minutes, nine seconds."

Yang stuck her tongue out at Naruto before she turned tail and ran.

Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Hate to see her go, but I _love_ to watch her leave."

" _We will not warn you again! Put your hands above your head and identify yourself!_ "

"Ooh, getting official with me, this is serious." He lifted his hands up slowly. "I'm just passing through boys!"

" _Turn around slowly and identify yourself!_ "

"I have a message for you, two words only."

" _We_ will _fire! Last warning! Turn around!_ "

"Smoke bomb!"

" _...Did you just say-?_ " Naruto threw his hands down and two small balls hit the ground before it exploded. The blond was engulfed in a massive cloud of smoke and the drones began to open fire. The handler swore over the bullhorn. " _Shit! Cease fire! Cease fire!_ "

Yang, from her spot beyond the gates, covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my god..."

"I know, right? They're going to have to file so much paperwork."

Yang turned and stared at Naruto, who was grinning madly as he watched the Atlesian soldiers try to rein in the drones. The whiskered teen looked at her and arched a brow.

"What?"

"How in the Hell did you get over here so fast?"

"I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm a ninja." Naruto grinned at her. "Fear my ninja-tude."

"...Ninja, huh? Gonna sneak us back in?"

"Nah, the Pervy Sage will. He offered to when he got us that opening."

" _That's_ an opening?"

"Drones opening fire on an unknown and unarmed person while the security cameras are on the fritz? Yeah, that's an exploitable opening if I ever heard of one. Now..." Naruto stood up and offered Yang his arm. "Shall we hit the town?"

Yang smirked as she stood and looped her arm around his. "Of course, _darling_."

"...I think I like Whisker Boy better." Naruto mumbled as he led her out of the brush and towards the subdued nightlife of Vale.

"Would it be better if I call you Honey?" Yang asked playfully.

"I call you that. We can't call each other the same nickname, we'd sound like idiots then." Naruto pointed out.

"Fair enough." Yang agreed. "How's cutie-patootie?"

"If you ever call me that in public, I _will_ spank you." Naruto told her seriously. "You will _not_ enjoy it and it _will_ hurt."

"O-kay, not that then." Yang pursed her lips and thought for a second before she snapped her fingers. "How's being my main squeeze sound?"

"Painful."

"Shmoopy-pie?"

"You made that up on the spot, cuddle-kins."

"Oh, god, do _not_ call me that...poopie-loo."

"Did you just call me a toilet, baby-cakes?"

"Maybe I did, Whisker Boy, what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I was going to take you to a crappy diner, but obviously you need some classes in proper date etiquette." Naruto sniffed haughtily.

"Oh really?" Yang smirked.

"You bet your sweet ass, Honey-Boobs."

"Honey-Boobs?" Yang laughed and gave her boyfriend a questioning look. Naruto nodded and grinned at her.

"While you have a nice derriere," Naruto said, taking a moment to lean his head back and openly admire the way her rear was framed by her pants. He returned his gaze to Yang's and gestured with a glance to her chest region, quick to return his blue eyes to her lilac. "Your Yang-ing rack is _far_ superior to anyone else's. Thus, instead of Honey-buns, you are my Honey-Boobs."

* * *

While the repetitive conversation consisting of corny-slash-inappropriate nicknames and the explanation of them was occurring, on the side of the road a familiar mane of white hair popped up. The owner of the mane giggled to himself and scribbled down several of the names mentioned, including the reasoning and details behind them.

"Oh yeah, that 'a boy, Naruto. You woo her like a champ!" Jiraiya whispered to himself. He giggled and scratched more notes into his handy-dandy notebook. "Kushina would be so proud of you, taking charge in the way Minato never could. Ooh...I should use that. Now if only I knew her measurements...Oh, shit, I'm losing them!"

Jiraiya jumped up and sneakily stal- _followed_ the blond couple, a grin on his face.

 _I hope he listened to my advice and takes her to-_

* * *

"The 'Mysterious Tree'?" Yang asked. The building her boyfriend had led her to was on the oddly quiet corner of Monty Ave. It was homely with red and grey bricks, very welcoming to the wayward drunk. Yang turned to give Naruto a look. "You're taking me to a tavern?"

"The last person I want to see on a date with you is Junior, though the twins were kind of pretty, maybe we could include them sometime, apologize for the fight – Joke, I was joking." Naruto rolled his eyes when Yang gave him a pointed look. He flashed a winning smile. "They pale in comparison to you, Honey-Boobs."

"Nice save, Whisker Boy."

"I said I was clever, not smart." Naruto gave her a gentle nudge in her arm. "C'mon, it'll be fun. We already went clubbing together, saw movies, had lunch..."

"You just want to get me drunk," Yang said accusingly.

"...Well, I'd be lying if I said that wouldn't be an interesting outcome, if unintended." Naruto admitted.

"...Alright. But you're ordering the first drink." Yang looked at him and smirked. "If anyone's getting date raped tonight, Whisker Boy, it's going to be you."

"...I don't know whether to be afraid or jealous of what may occur to my unconscious body." Naruto mused with pursed lips, which prompted his girlfriend to laugh and lead him into the tavern.

The feeling of being welcomed immediately engulfed the two teens and smiles quickly spread on their faces at the sheer amount of joy that filled the room. Naruto led Yang up to the bar and knocked on the wood. The bartender, a man about the age of Jiraiya, turned and met their eyes. He had a thin moustache and triangular beard that grew from his chin, the sort that would be seen on a criminal family head typical of Vacuo.

"...You're both a bit young t' be in here, aren't you?" He asked, his eyes narrowed and the pipe in his mouth shifted from one side to the next.

"She's seventeen. I'm seventeen. Legal drinking age in Vale is sixteen and up." Naruto said, subtly moving closer to Yang. He felt rather than saw several eyes turn toward him and his ears twitched as he heard the familiar sound of leather being gripped under the joyous atmosphere. The whiskered blond kept his gaze locked with the bartender. "I was referred here, but if you won't serve us, we'll leave."

"Who referred you?"

"A perverted old toad."

"...This toad...He wouldn't be named, Jiraiya, would he?" The Bartender narrowed his eyes.

"Er...Yes?" Naruto answered uneasily. The Bartender stared at Naruto for another moment and slid his pipe to the other corner of his mouth. Then...he smiled.

"Well, any friend of Jiraiya's is welcome here!" The Bartender gestured to the left, over at a more diner-restaurant-like set up than the right, bar-like side of the tavern. "Right this way please."

As they followed the odd Bartender, Yang turned to her boyfriend and whispered, "Your godfather suggested this place?"

"I know right? I thought it was a club in the wrong side of Vale." Naruto mumbled as he looked over the various black and white photographs hung on the wall. "Look at that, Spruce Willis ate here after the first _Rough End_ film...and Jack L. Samuels was here, too!"

"...You were going to take me to a Red Light bar?" Yang asked, unsure how to react to that.

"What? No! ...I was only going to swing by here and confirm whether or not the perv was just trying to perv on us," Naruto said under his breath.

"...I thought you told him-?"

"You're off limits." Naruto mumbled. He grimaced. "I am not."

"...Ew."

"Yeah, I know."

"Here you are," the Bartender said with a smile as he sat them at a table for two. Other couples or groups sat enjoying happy meals around them. Once the two had sat, he twirled his fingers and produced a match, lighting the candle set between them on the wall. He shook the match out and clasped his hands together. "A waiter will be over to take your orders shortly. Any drinks I can prepare?"

"I'll-" " _She'll_ have Strawberry Sunrise, no ice, with a cute little umbrella, purple if you've got one," Naruto said, cutting Yang off and meeting her gaze with a small smile. "I'll take Fire Dust Ale...If you've got it."

"Pretty strong stuff, boy. Sure you can stomach it?" The bartender asked, a brow raised.

Naruto glanced at him and grinned. "Buddy, you're looking at a guy who's survived being inside three Grimm stomachs."

"...That is a tale you'll have to tell me another time," the Bartender said under his breath. He bowed his head and backed away. "You'll have your drinks shortly."

Once the Bartender left, Yang fixed her boyfriend with a look. "...How did you-?"

"Your favorite drink, Yang. Wrote it down when you filled out that questionnaire for Goodwitch on psyche evals for the Vytal." Naruto cut her off again with a grin.

"Starting to seem stalker-ish, Whisker Boy," Yang said.

"And I asked Ruby what your favorite drink was. You've told her plenty of times when you were bragging about your first drink and when you dream about hitting up Patch's beach in the summer," Naruto said. He sat back in his seat and looked at the butter knife. He picked the silverware up and smirked at her. "Like how you snuck Kurama some lien for information on what I enjoy to watch when I have to relieve some stress. For the record, it's not food related. Water-works are fun though."

"Should've known he'd say something, sly fox..." Yang mumbled with a huff. She narrowed her eyes at her smirking boyfriend and drummed her fingers on the table. "Well, if you'd open up-"

"I do open up, Yang. I just do it subtly." Naruto mumbled. He glanced out at the people around him. "Force of habit when you become a spymaster's apprentice."

"...Jiraiya's a huntsman."

"And there's Grimm outside the walls of Vale trying to get in," Naruto said, looking back at her pointedly. "Yang...I haven't lied to you or kept anything hidden. Anything that wasn't important anyway."

"I know, Naruto." Yang reached across and put her hand atop of his. "It wouldn't hurt to share a bit more of those little secrets, though."

"Well, that's part of the fun, isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

Naruto cracked a small smile and Yang returned it as their hands gently clasped around one another.

"Ah, to be young and in love."

The two blondes were shaken from their moment at the sound of the elderly woman's voice. Looking at the speaker, they found a short woman at their side with a tray in hand consisting of a few drinks. The woman, wrinkled, but lively, had short, curly white hair and deep purple eyes. A smile was on her face as she looked at them.

"You two remind me of myself and my husband...before he became a lazy good for nothing drunk!" she shouted over her shoulder. A short man seated at the bar waved his hand at her lazily while the other patrons hooted and hollered at him. The woman turned back to the startled blondes. "But don't you mind ol' Shima. Now, who ordered the Sunrise?"

"That's mine. Thank you." Yang smiled at the waitress nervously as she took the drink.

"Then the Fire Dust is yours, eh, Mi-n..."

"Naruto, thank you, Shima." Naruto introduced and thanked the kind woman as he took his drink and set it before him.

"Well mannered." Shima looked over at Yang and winked. "Keep a tight grip on this one, and watch his glass. Make sure he's not prone to _over ordering_!"

"Ohh, get back to work n' leave me alone!" the aforementioned patron complained while his fellow drunks laughed.

Shima huffed and walked away, but not before giving the two a smile. "If you need anything more, just let ol' Shima know."

"We'll do that." Naruto nodded. He waited until she walked away before he looked at Yang. "Thoughts on 'Ol' Shima'?"

"She's one rockin' granny." Yang smiled and took a sip of her Strawberry Sunrise, plucking the purple umbrella out and putting it to the side. "You?"

"She seems...Familiar." Naruto mumbled, his brow knit together in confusion. He took a drink of his ale and shook his head. "Reminds me of my mom, or, well, what I've heard about her. Damn! That's got more of a kick than usual. It's been a while since I had real Fire Dust Ale."

"...Tell me about them."

Naruto gave Yang a perplexed look. "Who?"

"Your parents."

"My parents?"

"Yeah," Yang smiled. She set her drink down and rested her cheek on one hand, the elbow propping her up. "Consider it the first little secret you're telling me."

"It's not a secret, but fair enough...My parents are legends," Naruto said proudly. "While everyone on Remnant feared the wrath of the Thunder God and his bride, the Bloody Death, Vacuo hails the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero as the greatest of their generation."

"Wait, your parents were called the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero?" Yang asked with a smirk. "No wonder your favorite color is orange."

"Damn straight. People back home call me the Orange Titan."

"Yeah, right."

"They do! ...Well, that or Orange Demon, but I like Orange Titan better."

"I'll bet." Yang pursed her lips thoughtfully. She let out a small laugh. "How does someone get the name Red Hot-Blooded Habanero?"

"Well," Naruto said with a small smile. "To be fair, kids are _terrible_ at giving out nicknames."

"No!"

"Yep." Naruto chuckled. "Mom got her name back when she was young. Heck, according to Pervy Sage, she got it the day after she joined my dad's class. Jiraiya said she had a wicked temper like you'd never seen..."

* * *

" _And her hair reminded the kids of a habanero. Or it reminded them of a tomato. It depended on who you asked, really."_

"Hey, Tomato-Head, how's it-? Oof!" A brown-haired boy with squinted eyes doubled over a fist that imbedded itself in his stomach. He was pushed to the ground and let out a wheeze when the weight of his attacker landed on his back.

"Say it again!" The little redheaded girl, no older than ten, growled at her victim. Her hands clutched his hair and pulled, ripping a few strands from the scalp, but not all would go easily. The boy cried out in pain and she pushed his face into the dirt. "C'mon, Burori! I can't hear you! What'd you say about my head?!"

"G-Get off of me you freak!"

"Who're you callin' a freak you-you...you freak!?"

"Geez, looks like Burori made the Habanero's blood boil. Idiot." Another boy said to the blond that stood beside him. The blond watched the redheaded girl turn towards his friend and his blue eyes went wide with terror. Wisely, he took a step to the side, away from his friend that had earned the class new ill-tempered girl's ire.

"What'd you say, Tomo? You want some too!?" The girl launched herself at the boy, Tomo, who could do no more than squeak before she tackled him to the dirt. Seated on his stomach, the redheaded girl quickly wrapped an arm around his head and began to grind her other hand's knuckles along his scalp. "Speak up, speak up! I can't laugh at your jokes if you don't tell me them!"

"Gah! Ow! Ow! Ow! Teacher! Help! Kushina's lost it again!"

The blond boy watched from the sidelines. He wanted to help, really he did, but his two friends had started it. Honestly, he didn't see what was so bad about her hair.

He liked the color red.

* * *

"...I might've taken some liberties with that particular story, but from what the Pervy Sage said, my dad might've...possibly-stalked-my-mom-cuz-he-liked-her-hair..." Naruto muttered out sheepishly.

"No way! Oh, that's so-so...cute!" Yang laughed. "He had a little crush on her!"

"That's what Pervy Sage believes, but he's not the most trustworthy of sources." Naruto mumbled. There was an affronted cry from the bar followed by a hard whack that was ignored by the couple. Naruto took another drink of his ale and chuckled. "He tends to romanticize their relationship. Claims it was his instruction that made my dad step up and take her as his wife. ...That and something about grabbing him in public...I don't remember really. He always used to cut himself off and shiver."

"Sounds like an interesting woman." Yang mused.

"She sure does..." Naruto muttered. He tapped his thumb on the side of his glass and looked around. "Where's the waiter-?"

"May I take your order?" Two near-identical teens, one with orange hair and the other with blue, asked, standing at the side of their table.

"...That's what I call service." Naruto mumbled.

One waiter, the orange haired boy, looked at the blue haired one. "Kichi! Pa ask you to take their order too?"

"Tatsu, your shift ended three hours ago!" The blue haired boy, Kichi growled.

"...Oh yeah...Why am I here, then?" Tatsu asked.

"A good question," Kichi grabbed Tatsu by the collar and back of his pants. He carried the orange-haired waiter towards the kitchen doors, promptly throwing Tatsu through with a yell. "Why don't you go find an answer in the kitchen!?"

There was a crash and a cat yowl. Kichi dusted his hands off and turned back towards Naruto and Yang, a smile on his face. He opened his mouth to speak when Tatsu's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Hey Kichi! I 'membered why I stayed! I landed in the snacks!"

"...That's great, Tatsu! ...Hope you choke on it you dumbass..." Kichi grumbled. He quickly put a smile back on his face and looked at the amused couple. "So, what can I get you?"

"Well...any recommendations?" Yang asked, trying not to laugh at the obviously annoyed waiter.

"We have a lovely smoked steak, roasted duck, and a magnificent, world famous chef special: Ichiraku Ramen."

Naruto choked on his drink and clapped a hand over his mouth. A fist pounded on his chest and he cleared his throat. "I-Ichiraku? Vacoan chef, Ichiraku?"

"Yes! Well, not _the_ Ichiraku. He refused to leave his home so instead, we got his daughter."

Naruto immediately paled. "D-Daughter?"

"Daughter?" Yang asked, her smile quickly falling.

"Yes, she's just as good a cook as her father and knows how to make it just right." Kichi nodded. He sighed dreamily. "Real beautiful gal, homely...gorgeous brown eyes, silky brown hair that reaches-"

"Down to her waist?"

Yang snapped her eyes over to Naruto. The whiskered blond was trembling, his hand shaking the glass in his hand as he lifted it up to his mouth.

"You've seen her too? Mighty fine, isn't she?" Kichi sighed. "She swore herself to one man with a scarred face. Whoever this lucky bastard is...I envy him."

"Really?" Yang asked while she tapped a finger on the table and gave her boyfriend a look. "One man. Tell me, uh, Kichi. Did this...daughter of Ichiraku ever work as a waitress for her father?"

"...I think she mentioned something about waitressing once..." Kichi mumbled.

"Ayame..." Naruto mumbled.

"Ayame, huh?" Yang repeated, her eyes closed and a brow twitching. "Does she like footlongs?"

"What?"

"She's my sister, Yang!" Naruto blurted out. Eyes, from all over the Mystical Tree, turned to him. "The, uh, the guy she's devoted to is an old friend. His name's Iruka."

"Yeah, lucky scar-faced bastard," Kichi said sourly. He hung his head and people returned to their meals before he perked up again. "So, what'll it be?"

"I'll have the ra-steak." Naruto ordered, changing his order quickly.

"I'd like a bowl of ramen, miso please." Yang smiled beautifully at the waiter. Kichi flushed, wrote down the order, and then scurried off to the back while Naruto gaped at her.

"...Wh-wha?"

"A sister, huh?" Yang mused. She stirred her drink with the previously set aside purple umbrella. "I thought you were an orphan."

"We're not blood related, Yang," Naruto said lowly. He looked out over at the patrons of the bar and restaurant, who'd long since gone back to their own conversations, before he looked back at her. "Look, when I was young and out of the orphanage-"

"What?"

"When I was five I was given my own apartment, all right, it was complicated. Some kind of politics – that's not the point." Naruto shook his head and hands. "When I was little and on my own, I had a stipend from Kon's government, and it wasn't a lot. Meals weren't easy to come by and ramen was cheap. So, a very kind father and his daughter would let me eat there for, one-two percent off, tops. It was the best deal ever."

"And...?"

"Ayame was like the older sister I never had...besides Coco...Well, Ayame was more like the 'helpful' older sister and Coco's like how...uh..." Naruto trailed off. He was about to say 'like how you are to Ruby' before his brain's filter miraculously kicked in. It chooses the ficklest of moments to kick in.

"Coco's like...?" Yang fished again, giving her boyfriend a suspicious look.

"Coco. You know, she's Coco. Coco's one of a kind." Naruto continued hastily. He took a breath and put a hand on the table. "What I'm trying to say is, Ayame's, to my knowledge anyway, _not_ the ramen waitress without a, uh, gag reflex."

"Oh, really?" Yang asked, her eyes narrowed. "Then why were you so nervous when she was brought up?"

"Well...I might've...sort of...skipped out on saying goodbye when I left Kon? Heh-heh..." Naruto sheepishly admitted while scratching his right cheek with one finger.

"...Really?"

"Yeah, and...No offense, Yang, but...Women in my life tend to be more frightening when they're angry at me." Naruto muttered. He took another drink of his ale and, once he set the glass down, pursed his lips. "According to Jiraiya, I get that from my father..."

"...Your dad sounds like a smart guy," Yang said smugly. She leaned back in her seat and traced the rim of her drink with one finger. "...So, no ramen tonight?"

"...N-no. I-I'm not in the mood." Naruto lied through his teeth. "W-was getting...s-s-s-s-sick of it."

"Hmm, that's a shame..." Yang dipped her finger into her drink and then lifted it up to her mouth. "And here I was hoping you'd show me how to really, _really_ enjoy ramen."

Naruto's brain went numb as Yang started to suck the Strawberry Sunrise off of her finger gently. She slowly pulled her index finger out of her mouth until there was a light pop.

"I mean, you know the best way to _eat_ it..." Yang breathed as her finger slowly, but subtly, went down to her cleavage. Lilac eyes were locked on cerulean blue, which in turn were locked on that damnable thin finger. Yang smirked slightly and her finger drifted away to the chopsticks that were set beside the rolled up silverware.

"How to use the _utensils_..." Yang broke the chopsticks apart in a way that should've been impossible: sensually. "Properly."

Well, they did say the quickest way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and luckily for Yang, Naruto had taken enough Fire Dust Ale (notably sixty-three percent alcohol per volume) into his system for his mental walls to be shattered.

It also helped that a certain overseer/chronicler/pervert had possibly – _possibly_ – tossed in a milliliter of the Mysterious Tree's special 400 Toad Proof brew.

Healing factor or not, Naruto was buzzed.

And Yang was unknowingly capitalizing on it.

"...Yang..."

"Yes, Naruto?" Yang asked.

"...We need to go." Naruto grabbed Yang's hand and pulled her with him out of the tavern. "Now."

Yang had a grin on her face as she was pulled along by her boyfriend to the nearest, nicest hotel. Being reminded that there were at least two girls out there that had managed to see her boyfriend's tool – and do more in some cases – lit up her jealousy and a fire of desire ignited like no other had before. A promise she made that night to herself and, while a suggestion at first it had now become thus, to her team flew to the forefront to her mind. Yang no longer wanted dinner.

Oh, she was hungry, don't doubt it.

But she wanted to have dessert _first._

* * *

"...Wow, right into the Stallion Inn without even dinner. She must want it as bad as he does." Jiraiya mused. He grinned, dropped some lien on the counter and started to rise up from his seat when a metal ladle slammed down on his head. The white haired Huntsman yelped and collapsed back into his bar stool.

"You won't be spyin' on them, Jiraiya-Boy! Damned what your rank is, my word is law, and my word says you will leave them young'uns to be young'uns like you were long ago." Shima warned Jiraiya, shaking the Ladle-Of-Doom at him menacingly.

"Ah, but Ma-!" Jiraiya protested.

"No buts, Jiraiya-Boy. Ma's right." The husband of Shima croaked from his seat. The elderly man had grey hair that covered the sides and back of his head, with age leaving his scalp smooth and hairless. He straightened his back and cracked his neck before he turned and locked two golden eyes on the cowering Jiraiya. "You will leave Minato-boy and Kushina's son alone."

"B-But...But...Think of my work, Pa!"

"I am! And the last thing you need is to capture or witness the first time between two young souls deep in love." The old man scolded. He dropped from his barstool and looked at the Bartender. "Bunta! Close up. The rest of ya, go home. Sleep. We need to get preparations in order."

"As you wish, Father Fukasaku," the bartender, Bunta, said with a bow. He turned and pushed open the door. "Kichi! Tatsu! Clean up and prepare for initiation!"

"Okay Pops!" "Kay, Dad!"

"Ungrateful little...Stop calling me Pops, Kichi!"

* * *

 **AN: Yes, Naruto's healing factor was defeated by a drop of Toad 'Oil'. Yes, Yang and Naruto do the nasty before dinner. Yes, it was a tad rushed...but it was funny, right? Right?**

 **Tell me your thoughts!**

 **REDRUNKIFIED!**


	27. Morning After

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXVII: Morning After**

* * *

Within the tavern known as Mysterious Tree, the patrons had mostly left, save for the owners and a duo of old codgers.

"So, you believe he's ready?" Fukasaku asked the white haired man. Jiraiya took a sip of his Toad Proof sake and looked at Fukasaku.

"Pa," he said. "He's been ready for a year...I only held off because he wanted to get into Beacon. With how certain pieces are moving, I don't know if we'll still be around to see him graduate, let alone initiate him afterwards. He's ready, I know it."

"That doesn't mean anything!" a patron scoffed from the side. The patron wore an open magenta shirt and dark pants that settled over clog-like sandals similar to Jiraiya's. He had a mug in one hand, which was covered in a gauntlet similar to Jiraiya's, that he lifted to his mouth, downing the contents with a sloppy slurp. A red monkey tail swished angrily as the man set the mug down, revealing his face. Messy, dark red hair, once gathered in a ponytail atop his head, curtained down over his eyes and had a thick beard across his chin. A single purple line crossed under his eyes and over his nose, which was crinkled in drunken upset.

"Roshi, you're drunk." Jiraiya drawled to his friend and fellow admirer of the female form.

"So? D'sn't make me any less wrong!" Roshi huffed. "Yer bisesed, Boss Man."

"Biased." Jiraiya corrected him.

"Fuck you, I'm drunk."

Jiraiya sighed and looked at the amused Fukasaku. "Can you tell me why we tolerate him? I forgot."

"Well, I am one of yer best infiltrators in the wold-wuld w-werld...world. Best in the world."

"After me and my second apprentice's wife." Jiraiya smirked and took another sip of his sake. Fukasaku chuckled and gratefully took the offered drink from his wife.

"Bisesed. Oh, and there's the whole fact that you can't write women for shit," Roshi said dryly, to which Jiraiya conceded. Shameful as it was, Jiraiya actually heavily relied on Roshi's descriptions of women more than he did his own artistic talent. Roshi was gifted with a silver tongue, able to compliment anyone, but had two left hands while being right-handed. So, when they first started this venture, Roshi would take Jiraiya's notes and create a verbal illustration, which Jiraiya would then translate onto the page and incorporate into the story.

"Fair enough." Jiraiya sipped his sake again before he smirked. "You don't believe me. Challenge him."

Roshi cracked an eye open mid drink and placed his mug to the counter.

"I'd kill him."

"Pretty sure that pretty girl's daddy will be aiming to do that, Roshi." Fukasaku chuckled. He rubbed a phantom pain on his shoulder. "Shima's papa certainly didn't like learning about our union prior to our union."

"And I have officially become impotent. T'anks for that, Pa." Roshi grumbled before he drank more of his mug's content. Once he finished he set the mug down and crossed his arms. "I was against yer initiation of that smug shit Branwen...And look how that turned out."

"It's nice to have someone on the inside of the Brotherhood, Roshi." Jiraiya pointed out. "And Branwen came to us, two birds with one stone."

"A smug fucker of a stone..."

"My, such colorful language is only shared for someone you really respect."

"Respect, yes. _Like_? Fuck no." Roshi spat at Fukasaku. He looked at Jiraiya. "I ain't sayin' he's not going to join us. I'm sayin' it's not right. He ain't ready, not for what we need to reveal to him. If he were younger-"

"Like your daughter was?" Jiraiya countered and Roshi's mouth clamped shut. "And you wonder why she doesn't want your grandson near you."

"That's because you corrupted me after m' wife died."

"Oh, that was done _long_ before your wife died, Roshi." Shima drawled. She walked up and rested an arm on the countertop, her purple eyes going to the white-haired man. "Jiraiya, speaking of wives long lost-"

"I haven't spoken to her in a _long_ time, Ma." Jiraiya huffed. "She's busy with her apprentices and work...and, you know, the whole..."

"Yes, yes, well, she can't blame you for that forever," Shima said with a wave of her hand. She sighed and rested her cheek on her hand. "Though, I can't blame her much either...Minato-Boy and Kushina were the only family she had left."

"And Naruto was a painful reminder of it." Jiraiya mumbled, his finger tapping on the rim of his sake cup.

"...Oh, bleeding hearts the both of you– _Fine_! I'll support it." Roshi growled. He held a finger up. "But! He's gotta fight me, first. Will o' Fire 'gainst the Breathing Volcano."

"Deal!" Shima and Jiraiya agreed.

Fukasaku shook his head, a smile on his face, as he began to assist his great-grandsons with cleaning the tavern. He glanced at a picture on the far wall of the tavern, far from the view of the restaurant patrons, where a young blue-eyed blond man had his arm around the shoulders of a redheaded woman, both seated at the far end of the bar, where plaques had been screwed into the stools they sat on. The green-eyed elder smiled as he reread the stools another time.

This seat reserved for the late and great Minato Namikaze / Kushina Uzumaki.

Friend to all, Family to few, Defender of Remnant

 _Your son has grown into a fine young man, Minato-boy...I just wish you could've seen it,_ Fukasaku thought with a sad smile. He blinked and then laughed, drawing his wife and the two men's attention.

"Naruto-chan and his little girlfriend have run off to express their love for one another," he explained with a smile. "If I recall, Minato-boy and Kushina did the same thing...skipping dinner entirely."

"Yes...Except Kushina was the one who pulled Minato out," Jiraiya said, grinning. He looked over at the snickering Kichi. "Kichi!"

"Er, uh, yes? Lord Jiraiya?"

"Get your father out here with a round of Toad Oil all around!" Jiraiya grinned and tossed back the rest of his current drink, slamming the empty glass onto the counter upside down. "We're celebrating!"

* * *

 _Ohh...god why are my hips so sore?_ That was the first thing through Naruto's mind as soon as he unconsciously registered the sunlight shining down on his face, waking him from his slumber. Slowly, he sat up and a groan escaped Naruto's lips as he did. His right arm and hand were asleep, so Naruto rubbed his eyes with his left. While he was trying to figure out the three main questions on his mind – _Where am I? What happened last night? And why the hell are my hips so sore?_ – he sat on the side of the bed, the covers slipping off as he did so.

 _...Okay, well,_ that _answers one of my questions_. Naruto thought as he pulled the blanket back over his waist to cover himself. Shifting his foot, Naruto grimaced at the feeling of something plastic and a bit sticky. A glance and yet another question was answered.

 _Huh...That explains the weird line. That was too small and nearly broke–_

"Nng..." The groan to his right made Naruto look over his shoulder. With golden hair sprawled across the bed beneath her head, a sleeping girl lay. A smile worked its way across Naruto's face.

"And that answers all of my other questions." Naruto mumbled. He looked back down at the item that was too small and grimaced. "Damn, those are uncomfortable."

"Mm...Whis'r..." Yang mumbled, turning onto her side, one arm draped over the space he once occupied.

Naruto watched her with a small smile. Last night he'd learned things about Yang – Hell, he learned things about _himself_ – that he'd never expected to learn in a million years. Some was, not bad, but different than what he'd expected. It wasn't exactly his first time with a virgin, but at least this time he made it easier since he had a slight idea of what to expect.

Or so he thought.

"Damn, Yang," Naruto said softly as he rubbed the left side of his pelvis and winced. "We are keeping that...cowboy position on reserve."

Naruto stood up and rolled his right shoulder in an attempt to get the blood flowing correctly once more. Once he did that, he reached down and picked up the used prophylactic. The used item was promptly discarded into the nearest trash bin...after Naruto got his boxers hanging off of it. He nearly tripped over Yang's boots on his way to the shower.

 _Warm water will loosen me up_. Naruto grimaced and rubbed his sore back. For having a semblance that made his body twice as durable as the average man's, he was probably the best suited to handle Yang's use of her impressive strength in the bedroom. If he didn't have that semblance, Naruto was certain that his back would be either dislocated or broken...likely the former, but still, he was impressively sore.

As soon as the water was running, Naruto got in and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Ohh yeah...almost as good as sex..."

* * *

The sound of running water was the first thing Yang heard when she started to wake up. Lilac eyes blinked open and a sleepy hand reached around the empty side of the bed. Once she could see more than blurry shapes, Yang frowned at being unable to find her boyfriend beside her. Last night was _fucking amazing_.

Pun wholeheartedly intended.

 _Damn, he did me good._

Yang grinned and bit on her bottom lip as she relived the night before in her mind. There was bound to be a whole lot of complaints at the front desk because of them. Yang rubbed her legs together as one of her other hands ran through her hair, and she bit harder onto her lip, her smile growing.

 _Naruto did me_ real _good_.

Yang's eyes flashed red and, despite the soreness, started to get up from the bed. Her hair shone bright as she limped over towards the bathroom, stumbling for a moment over Naruto's sandals. The door was cracked open, which made it much easier for her to slip in. The door's click as it shut was covered by the sound of the water raining down on what she knew to be the rock hard body of her boyfriend.

Yang drew the curtain and climbed in with impressive stealth. Her semblance dwindled away and she startled the occupant of the shower when she almost collapsed against him, pushing him against the wall as she did.

"Yang what-the-?" Naruto's question was cut off as she grabbed his head and pulled him into a kiss. They parted and passionate lilac stared into confused, but kind blue.

"Good morning, Whisker Boy." Yang breathed as they stood in the shower together. Naruto blinked several times, bewildered and lost by the four words Yang chose to say.

"G-Good morning...?" he uttered back. Yang's lips were still in their wide smile as her hand reached down and grabbed him. Naruto squeaked, it was adorable really, and Yang's grin became frightening as her eyes flashed red.

"Wake up."

"Yang, we're in the – Ohh...I see what you're getting at."

* * *

An hour and a couple of real – and _separate_ – showers later, and the blonde duo finally made it down to the lobby of the Stallion Inn. Yang and Naruto were expecting to be met with glares and annoyed looks from the staff, but only received smiles and giggles from cleaning crews. Naruto, his arm around Yang's waist for her to lean against him and partially conceal her walking problem, furrowed his brow.

"I don't get it...With all the noise you made–"

" _We_ made." Yang corrected him, a proud grin on her face. She poked him in the side. " _You_ caused most of those noises, Whisker Boy."

"Yeah, well, uh... _Anyway_..." Naruto pointedly kept his gaze off of his girlfriend, his cheeks the lightest hint of red. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "You'd think they'd be a bit more...volatile."

"From what I hear, Naruto-boy, your little friend is the one they expected to be volatile."

The two froze and turned to a short man seated in a blue chair with a newspaper in his hand. He lowered it and revealed his face, elderly and smiling in amusement. Naruto blinked and lifted a hand, pointing at the man.

"Hey, you're uh...you're Shima's husband. The drunk," he said. The man laughed and the couple shared a confused look.

"Ah, I'm not a drunk, Naruto-boy." The man explained. He folded the paper up and set it to the side, getting to his feet with the aid of a wooden cane. He'd hobbled over to them and smiled up at the two. A hand was offered, up to the teens that were taller than him. "My name is Fukasaku Gama. I own the Mysterious Tree."

"Oh, uh, yeah." Naruto took the hand and shook it. "P-Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Well, this wouldn't be the official first time." Fukasaku chuckled and rested his hands on the top of his cane. "It's been too long, Naruto-boy."

"I...I don't understand." Naruto furrowed his brow.

"You will. In time." Fukasaku nodded. He tapped his cane on the ground and sighed. "And in advance...I am sorry I had to ruin your morning, but...tradition must be mandated."

"W-What?" Naruto asked. A sharp _vft_ sound caught his attention and Naruto suddenly jerked. He slapped a hand to his neck, finding something there that wasn't supposed to be. Once he pulled the item from his neck and held it in his hand, he gaped. In his palm, was a dart. "What the...?"

There were five more _vft_ s before Naruto finally started to fall. He heard Yang call his name once he hit the ground. As darkness encroached over his vision, he saw Yang fall next to him, her red eyes turned back into lilac as they unfocused. At least it was a lovely, if not worrying, sight he was blessed with before his vision went black.

"DoN't wORry, sHe'll Be fiNe, _bRat_." A deep distorted voice tried to reassure him.

For some reason, Naruto had a strong feeling he knew that voice.

* * *

"...ys, I think she's waking up!" A familiar, adored voice cheered as two lilac eyes fluttered awake.

"Ugh, Ruby, what have I told you about shouting?" Yang groaned and rubbed her head as she sat up slightly. She was quickly knocked back down by a flying hug courtesy of her adorkable little sister and a slobbery kiss on the cheek from Zwei, who was standing beside Yang's head. Yang gently shoved Zwei away before she roughly pushed Ruby off of her.

"Ow..." Ruby sat up from the ground with a lump on her head and tears in her eyes. "Yang, I was so worried! You didn't come back last night!"

"Ruby, she _did_ say there was a chance of that happening." Blake drawled from her perch on Ruby's bunk behind the team leader. Pointedly, and notably, away from Zwei.

"...Oh, yeah..." Ruby began to turn green. "Ew..."

"It's natural, Ruby, stop being such a child," Weiss said with a huff. She leaned against her bed and looked down at Yang. "Though, I have to admit, I too wonder why Professor Goodwitch had brought you in unconscious..."

"Unconscious?" Yang mumbled, her eyes blinking. Ruby gasped.

"Right! That's right, you were totally out of it! Drooling and everything," she said, her face now back to the rosy moonlight pale shade it usually was. "What happened?!"

"...What happened, well Naruto and I were...Naruto! Oh, when I get my hands on that little troll..." Yang's eyes started to turn red but then drained back to lilac. She frowned in confusion. "What the – I can't feel my aura!"

"It's been suppressed," Blake said from her perch, a book on herbs in her hand. Cat-like eyes glanced up and met Yang's. "You were drugged...And based on your reaction, Naruto was, too."

"But, Professor Goodwitch said not to worry. Why would she say that if Naruto was drugged?" Ruby asked. She cupped her chin and closed her eyes, humming in thought. Her silver eyes snapped open and sparkled. "It's a mystery! We can investigate-!"

"She said it with a forced smile and reminded us that we're stuck in our dorms." Blake reminded her team leader with a sigh. She sent a pointed look at Yang. "Your successful escape put all students on dorm lockdown. Food's brought in, but we can't go out. There're Atlesian drones everywhere."

"...Uh, oops?" Yang grimaced. That was going to cost her some of her old friends. ...Eh, screw them. Her team and Naruto was all she needed. (Not to mention they didn't really stay in contact with her once the school year and team selection thing got started. Jerks.) She sighed and flopped back onto what she presumed to be Blake's bunk, Zwei jumped over her and went sniffing around the floor.

"Bathroom, Zwei!" Yang and Ruby shouted and the corgi disappeared into the tile-floored room. Blake arched a brow.

"...You're kidding me."

"Hey, he can use a can opener, remember?" Ruby pointed out.

"I'll believe that when I –" Blake was cut off by the sound of a toilet's flush. Zwei trotted out and Blake stared at him for a moment. "...Okay, so maybe he can use a can opener."

Zwei barked happily at her and she glowered at him before returning to her book on herbs.

"So...you're officially the first of us to...do the deed, as it were," Weiss said, trying to appear nonchalant from where she stood. She had her gaze locked on the wall to her right, her arms crossed over her chest and a light flush on her face.

"Yeah, so-Oh, you want details?" Yang asked, a grin spreading across her face. Weiss' face blossomed into a full on blush, but she still kept her eyes averted. Blake closed her book. With it set aside, she turned to face Yang, an eager gleam in her eye.

Ruby looked between her teammates before she started to turn green.

"No...Wait, you guys want to...?"

"Ruby, it's a little grown up gossip. If it's too much for you, put your headphones on." Blake advised. She wasn't going to lie, she didn't _want_ to hear about Yang and Naruto's first time, but...she _was_ a Cat Faunus. And Adam always said her curiosity got the better of her one time too many.

"Gross! Gross! Gross! Gross!" Ruby zipped around the room, searching for her headphones, before she found them and jumped up to what usually was Yang's bunk. Her headphones held over her ears and her music cranked up to the safest and loudest volume.

"...So?" Blake pried.

Yang grinned and sat up fully.

"Well, first, he took me to a nice little tavern just down the street from that accessory shop you like, Weiss."

* * *

"...ix darts! When's the last time someone needed six darts, Pops? C'mon, you've gotta admit, that's impressive!"

"Shut up, Kichi. He's waking up."

"Ugh, my head." Naruto groaned and pressed the cool palms of his hands to his temple. "It feels like the Pervy Sage just tossed me off a cliff again...and then kicked me in the face...and then the Old Hag hit me with a sucker punch..."

"Yep, that tends to happen." Naruto looked up at the sound of a familiar chuckle.

"...Pervy Sage?"

Jiraiya grinned. "Hey, Brat, how was your night? You were safe, ri-OOF!"

A firm and tightly balled fist buried itself into Jiraiya's stomach, successfully making the man double over. Jiraiya noted that it was easily the third hardest punch that had ever nailed him in the gut. The first and second belonged to his estranged teammate. The hand then removed itself from Jiraiya's stomach and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling Jiraiya face-to-face with his godson.

Blue eyes slowly flickered to gold and back, and Naruto's teeth bared themselves with a vicious snarl.

"Where. Is. Yang."

 _It was not a question, but it might has well have been._ The writer cowering in the back of Jiraiya's mind noted. For good reason, too. The snarl was nearly identical to the one that the boy's mother made the morning after Minato's bachelor party. Er, well, his technically _second_ bachelor party – Jiraiya wasn't invited to the first one, so he threw the second one.

That decision almost cost him his seat at the wedding. Oh, and his life, yeah, it almost cost him that, too.

"She's fine, Naruto." Jiraiya wheezed out. _Huh, I've never realized how good air tastes._ "She's back at Beacon. We just had to–"

"Who's 'we'?" Naruto interrupted, his eyes narrowed in discontent. His eyes were still flickering, and that alone made Jiraiya realize that _maybe_ he should've waited until _after_ they were back in Beacon before he drugged his apprentice.

"Easy, there, Naruto-boy." Naruto's attention snapped over to the elderly man from before, Fukasaku.

 _Oh thank you God for the mercy you show me!_ Jiraiya smiled. With Fukasaku there, Naruto would surely release him and then they could calm the boy down-

Naruto's hand wrapped around Jiraiya's throat.

Tight.

 _FUCK YOU GOD! FUCK YOU AND ANYONE ELSE LIKE YOU!_ Jiraiya mentally screamed while he physically choked. His first assumption upon meeting the boy five years ago was right: He's Kushina's son, just with Minato's face. Where the hell was all this strength when he was training the boy between ages thirteen and sixteen!?

" _You_. You're a dead man." Naruto growled as his eyes shone bright gold.

Fukasaku's small smile fell and he glared back at Naruto.

Naruto felt his heart stop beating. No, wait, it was just beating so fast he couldn't feel it anymore. Sweat poured from his head like he'd been doused in it from a bucket. His spine either shriveled away to nothing, or slipped right out of his back, packed its bags and headed for the nearest air station. His bowels thankfully didn't empty themselves, but they did try to flee back into his stomach, as if the digestive acid would protect them.

"...Pa...Pa...!" Jiraiya gasped, pointing frantically at the tight grip around his throat. His face was starting to turn into a lovely, and impossible, blend of polka dots. Each dot was a different near-white color, and caused Kichi, huddled off to the side _behind_ Fukasaku, to take a picture with his Scroll.

"Release him, Naruto-boy." Fukasaku ordered firmly. Before his name was uttered, Naruto's grip around his throat vanished. Jiraiya fell to his hands and knees. He greedily sucked in air and his skin swiftly returned to its normal rosy, sun-kissed tone.

Naruto was as pale as Ruby, which, for someone as tanned as Naruto normally was, was pretty damn pale.

Thankfully, the feeling of utter _fear_ that had encased him vanished once Fukasaku let up on his glare and smiled once more.

"As Jiraiya-boy said, Naruto-boy, your girlfriend is back at Beacon. Safe and sound, if not a bit tired from the drug." Fukasaku explained gently. "You're safe as well, just...in a location we cannot yet disclose."

"...Okay..." Naruto mumbled, still a bit out of it. He glanced at Jiraiya, who was now rubbing his neck, and then examined his surroundings. Trees and various plants of different greens surrounded him. The ground was coarse and hard, a quick glance showed the significant brown dirt in place of what was green carpet the last time he was conscious. A glance up and he saw the blue sky with slowly drifting clouds.

"Where...?" Naruto began as he tried to stand, but fell back to the ground. "Ow...Where are we?"

"We, Naruto-boy, are home. _You_." Fukasaku pressed the end of his wooden cane into his chest and Naruto felt his drained body become filled with energy once more. "Are currently three-hundred and forty seven miles away from Beacon."

"...Okay, so, where are we?" Naruto asked again, now back on his feet and looking around curiously. Still only trees and plants. Thrilling.

"Follow me," Fukasaku said. He turned and walked out of the small clearing, disappearing between two bushes. Naruto quickly followed him and shielded his eyes with his hand as the full intensity of the sun greeted him. Once adjusted past the glare, and his natural body's aura shield filtered out the intense sunlight, Naruto felt his jaw pop open in awe. He was currently overlooking a large settlement with people dressed like...like...

"Ninjas..." He breathed. Dark clothes that resembled Jiraiya's attire covered every man, woman, Human and Faunus alike as they walked, trained, or ate together. Even the kids, though few there were, playing under the watch of adults had the clothes. He looked down at the sound of a chuckle, his eyes locked on Fukasaku.

"Welcome, Naruto-boy, to the home of the Wandering Defenders of Remnant, the Nomads, or as we were once called before The War, the Shinobi." Fukasaku smiled at him and then looked over the place he called home.

"Welcome...To Mount Myōboku."

"And you said I made it up!" Jiraiya huffed from behind. Naruto turned to look at him, the mark on his neck long gone, and the older man smiled widely. His thumb tapped the horned plate that protected his head.

"...Oh god, you're all deranged perverts, aren't you?" Naruto asked, horrified. Fukasaku laughed uproariously while Jiraiya's face planted into the ground.

"Lousy, no-good...And what exactly are you 'Whisker Boy'?" Jiraiya asked as he returned to his feet and glowered at his godson. "A saint?"

"No, but...I don't go peeking on women!"

"Not according to your juvenile report, which, mind you, still exists here in full detail."

"That doesn't count, you dragged me along under the guise of training and I had nothing better to do!" Naruto shouted, a finger pointed accusingly at the older man while his face turned bright red.

"Uh-huh, a likely story!" Jiraiya returned the accusing point with his lips spread into a grin. "Admit it, you enjoyed it! You offered to go in my stead the day you were caught!"

"I was fourteen! Of course I enjoyed it! I stopped doing that once I realized that it doesn't get you laid!"

"Which was when?! On your sixteenth birthday?!"

"...A few months after – But that's beside the point!"

Fukasaku continued to laugh as the two argued.

* * *

 **AN: And thus we see the morning after...and the beginning of everyone's** _ **favorite**_ **part of an Anime: The FILLER arcs.**

 **Okay, it's not going to be** _ **that**_ **bad...I hope (Fingers crossed). These arcs are going to focus mainly on the problems Team NHKS has to deal with personally. Here's the lineup:**

 **Initiation/Shinobi Arc (Current): 1-2 chapters left.**

 **Snowy Tears Arc: 2-3 chapters.**

 **Parents Discretion Arc: 1-2 chapters.**

 **Vengeance Arc: 3-4 chapters.**

 **Pain Arc: 5-6 chapters (at most).**

 **Recovery Arc: 2-4 chapters.**

 **And finally**

 **Vytal Festival Arc: (unknown)**

 **So there's the lineup, boys and girls. Give Bonesboy your thoughts and feelings, and remember, the arcs' titles tell you only slightly what the focus is...so don't believe it's your first guess.**

 **(Hint: Vengeance Arc has NOTHING to do with the Uchiha)**

 **REWAKEUP!**


	28. Toad's Prophecy

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXVIII: The Toad's Prophecy**

* * *

Kurama drummed his fingers on the table while he propped himself up on his elbow. Narrowed behind his sunglasses, his eyes were glued to the computer before him, which displayed lock screen of the CCTS internal systems menu. Now, what was a first year student of Beacon Academy doing trying to access what would be the core of Remnant's web of information flow? Well, he was trying to hack into it, obviously. The reason behind this was because of what Ruby had told him the night before, of the masked woman who broke into the Vale CCTS during the dance.

 _Dammit Ruby...couldn't you tell me a bit more than "She was kneeling in front of a desk"?_ Kurama thought, a tad annoyed at the vague description of what the mysterious thief was doing. _If I were a betting man, I'd say she was uploading a back door into the system. God, why is it that villains are so smart when their end game is usually something really,_ really _dumb?_

"You look like you're having fun."

Kurama glanced up and arched a brow.

"How the hell did you sneak out of curfew, Sun?" He asked.

Sun grinned and fell into an exaggerated martial arts stance.

"I am a ninja! Fear my-"

"Ninja-tude, yeah, yeah..." Kurama rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen before him. Sun's shoulders slumped and he pouted at his fellow Faunus. Kurama didn't even blink. "Be aware that I am the youngest of nine siblings, your wounded pout does nothing to me since I mastered it."

"Worth a shot." Sun shrugged and turned the chair around before he sat down in it. "So...what 'cha doing?"

"Breaking several international laws very, _very_ carefully." Kurama drawled. He sat up and tried another skeleton key that was swiftly and mercilessly denied. Quickly backtracking out of the failed attempt so he wouldn't be discovered by the system's security, Kurama returned to the lock screen and sighed. "Damn."

"This looks very devious." Sun grinned and his tail swayed mischievously. "Can I help?"

"Doubt it," Kurama said lowly. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat in thought for a moment. Feeling Sun's unwavering gaze on him, Kurama growled. "Don't you have a pussy that you want to pet?"

"..." Sun, now with a healthy dusting of red across his cheeks, gained a dopey grin and his eyes glazed over slightly. A beat later and he shook the look off of his face. "I could ask you about a little rabbit you want to hop on."

"Vel and her team are on wall patrol. Got pulled by Ozpin to assist the teachers," Kurama said shortly. He decided that it wouldn't be wise to divulge to Sun that he and Velvet were in the midst of enjoying the thrill of first base before being rudely interrupted by the thankfully blind Fox. Kurama's eye twitched slightly. _Alistair may be blind, but he knew I was there...stupid smirking bastard. Note to self: find something on him and use it against him. Ex girlfriend maybe..._

"Ah, that sucks." Sun's voice stirred Kurama from his vengeful plots. The monkey tailed Faunus looked around and leaned in. "So, word in the dorms is that one of Beacon's is the reason behind the lockdown. Any truth to that?"

 _...Foiling the mystery girl can wait. I have gossip to spread_. Kurama thought with an eager grin as he exited out of the program and cleared the computer's memory. He turned to Sun as the computer screen disappeared.

"Well, let's just say my fearless leader and his female duplicate had a very exhausting night last night."

Sun's eyes gleamed and he grinned. "Really now?"

"Oh yes...In fact, the idiot still hasn't returned. But Yang did, and according to my source–" _Ruby_. "–She was brought back into the dorm, drugged out of her mind."

"...Whoa...You saying she was-?" Sun looked around again, and despite seeing no one that would overhear them, he leaned back in and whispered. "Date raped?"

"No, I don't think so." Kurama shook his head. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. "I think that someone got the drop on them, brought Yang back to Beacon purposefully and took the invincible idiot to do god knows what."

"They brought Yang back?" Sun rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, she is hot, but Naruto definitely has a nicer ass. On par with Blake's for sure."

"...Right, Naruto said you're probably bi-"

"Pansexual." Sun corrected.

"...Really?" Kurama blinked when his fellow Faunus nodded. "I didn't know that. Huh, good for you."

"Thank you." Sun smiled. "It's nice not to be judged."

"I'm an asshole, but not _that_ big of an asshole." Kurama huffed. "Besides, I'm a bit racist, so I can't exactly say anything fairly."

"At least you're honest." Sun chuckled. "So...Theories on who drugged the little dude?"

"Who else?" Kurama smirked. "The Perverted Old Toad hasn't been seen since yesterday afternoon."

"...Yeah, I'd buy that."

"Spread the word?"

"Gladly!"

* * *

"I have the sudden urge to strangle Kurama." Jiraiya mused as he and Naruto, the latter was still cooling off from their earlier argument, followed Fukasaku through the hidden settlement on Mount Myōboku.

"Yeah, that happens from time to time," Naruto said sourly. He his hands thrust firmly into his jean pockets while he looked around at the various people he walked by. Naruto arched a golden brow in confusion when he noticed that many of the adults would stare at him and mumble among themselves as he walked by. What he could hear were the words 'Fourth's Son' and 'Sage'.

...The hell was _that_ supposed to mean?

"Ah, we're finally here." Fukasaku's voice drew Naruto's attention back to the small elderly man as a shadow fell over them. Looking up, Naruto's mouth fell open at the building that they approached. Several stories tall and made from what looked like very old stone, was a pyramid that was covered in vines, grass and various other flora that hid itself from Naruto on his first view of the village. Carved on two sides of the entryway were two strange quadrupeds, and if Naruto didn't know any better, he'd say they were –

"They're toads." Jiraiya affirmed the thought, a small smile on his face. The perverted sage placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder as they stood at the base of the staircase. "There's a reason I'm called the 'Toad Sage', Naruto."

"I'll be damned. And here I thought it was because you were so ugly."

Jiraiya cuffed Naruto upside the head for his cheek.

"Smug little...C'mon, before I change my mind."

While he rubbed his head and snickered, Naruto followed his godfather and Fukasaku up the steps. At the top of the temple's steps, they entered into what Naruto presumed to be the main room. Alit by torches and lanterns, the room had a mystical and ancient feel to it. A large circular pit with brown liquid of unknown origin was centered before a large statue of a massive toad. The toad statue sat on a throne made from rock, atop its head was a triangular hat, and around its neck was a beaded necklace, holding a vibrant purple orb that had a symbol carved in it.

"This is Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage," Fukasaku said as he moved to stand beside Naruto. "Many, many centuries ago, it was said that he foresaw a 'grand battle that would encase the entire world'. He said that 'peace would only come once four stood together on a vital island.'"

"...The War ended on Vytal Island..." Naruto mumbled. Everyone knew that, it was common knowledge and the reason why the festival was named such.

"That prophecy was given at least one hundred years before the war even began." Jiraiya continued. He turned to a far wall, where there were ancient carvings depicting many sights. "And Gamamaru gave more prophecies before he passed. Not all came to be, Gamamaru had at least thirty different world ending scenarios that never saw daylight, but the ones that did had one similarity between them: the number four."

"...Okay...?" Naruto folded his arms over his chest. "So four is a magic number. What's your point?"

"Think of the tales you heard growing up, Naruto-boy." Fukasaku chided. "There are a few that hold far greater truths than most would anticipate."

"Eh, I stopped thinking about Fairy Tales a long time ago." Naruto shrugged.

"Typical teenager...I told you he was too old for the stories!" Naruto looked over to the left as a previously hidden man stepped from the shadows. The man gave Naruto an unimpressed once over and his red tail flicked at him. The man looked at Jiraiya. "He looks just about as impressive as the last apprentice you brought here, only far more stupid."

Naruto's eye twitched in irritation. "Who are you calling stupid, you ol' geezer?"

"You, dummy. Who else would I be calling stupid?"

"Roshi, don't provoke him." Jiraiya sighed. He walked back and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Brat, calm down. This is Roshi Wukong."

"...You're Sun's grandfather?" Naruto gave the older man a once over and then shook his head. "I don't see it."

"Yeah, and you don't look anything like yer grandfather either, punk." Roshi snorted back. He glanced at Fukasaku and Jiraiya. "Why are you wasting your time with this dumbass?"

"We have to properly explain why we're here, Roshi-boy." Fukasaku huffed. "Tradition mandates that we offer him the choice first. Didn't we do the same for you?"

"...Yeah, though when you offered it to me, I was drunk." Roshi grumbled. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Fine, but hurry it up. I got a place t' be so I'd sooner get the dumbass' arse-kickin' over with."

"Ass-kick-? _I'll_ kick _your_ ass, you old bastard, I don't care whose grandfather you are!" Naruto snapped with a glare locked on the older monkey Faunus.

Roshi glared back at him. "You talk the talk, boy, but can ya walk the walk?"

"Didn't know the fashion show was in to-Mmph!" Naruto's retort was cut off by Jiraiya when he clapped a firm hand over his godson's mouth.

"Roshi, stop riling him up!" The Toad Sage snarled at the Faunus. Roshi merely smirked at the blond, who glared back with golden eyes, before a swift smack to the head made him stumble forward. Jiraiya, whose own eyes now glowed gold, glared at his godson. Jiraiya put his foot down, literally, and cracks formed beneath it while both Roshi and Naruto looked at him. "This is a sacred place, I will _not_ let either of you defile it with your egos!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." Roshi apologized, his hands raised halfheartedly in an effort to placate the enraged sage. Jiraiya looked at his godson, who rubbed his head with a grimace on his face.

"Yeah, fine...but after-"

"Boy, I _will_ skin you alive." Jiraiya warned firmly.

"...So, this Gamamaru guy had some prophecies that were like fairy tales, right?" Naruto asked, looking away from his godfather and back at an amused Fukasaku. He'd pushed his luck too far and though he didn't show it often, Jiraiya was _far_ stronger than Naruto was. A memory of a battle he witnessed between his godfather and his godfather's estranged teammate made him shiver. There was a reason that some parts of the human body that weren't supposed to be able to bend in certain ways.

"Indeed." Fukasaku went to the same wall that Jiraiya stood beside. He pointed at several crude carvings. "The Story of the Seasons, the Tale of Two Brothers, The Wrathful Reaper, and The Princely Pauper...these four fairy tales have been told for decades."

"...Wait, but, only the Story of the Seasons has four characters, the four sisters. The others only have one or two," Naruto said. "Doesn't that go against the whole magic number you were speaking of before?"

"You're catching on, Naruto-Boy," Fukasaku said with a smile. He tapped his cane on the ground. "True, the tales have less than four focuses, but here, it would be that the stories themselves add to four. I never said they were told separately in Gamamaru's Great Prophecy."

"Great Prophecy?" Naruto asked. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Fate's a load of crap. We make our own destinies."

"Perhaps," Fukasaku said with a nod. "Perhaps prophecies just happen along because they are foretold, with unconscious decision enabling their completion. However, let us pretend that we're all under the snare and whim of Fate for a brief moment."

Naruto grimaced and shifted uncomfortably. "...Fine."

"Considering we have no control, that our actions and future have been predetermined by an outside force, Gamamaru has foreseen another catastrophe that has yet to rear its head." Fukasaku gripped his cane tightly and his eyes hardened. "One day, Gamamaru awoke, his heart racing, and spoke to his nearest chronicler: ' _A danger comes to Remnant, one so great that not even the Kings will be able to stop it. The sunlight will turn the clouds red and a great fungus will spread across the land. A torch must be lit by the wasteland's storm. Four will stand against the war, but a hero must fall to order restore. To stop the spread, cut off the head, for it is there that hatred is bred. Tell the Seasons, the Brothers, the Pauper, and the Sage; Unity is the only way to prevent the Grimm Age.'_ "

"Fungus...red cloud – The Fourth War." Naruto balled his hands into fists. The connection was clear, there was no mistaking what the color and shape were symbolic of. "He knew they were coming."

"Indeed he did." Fukasaku sighed. "And unfortunately, the rise of the White Fang's acts as well as a new threat our allies the Brotherhood of Remnant has deemed the greater evil blinds the world to the harm that the Fourth War will bring. Though I fear that to merely say the Fourth War is the great threat would be untrue. All three of these variables are threats to the peace of today."

"Okay, so how do I fit into this 'prophecy'?" Naruto asked, a frown on his face as he folded his arms over his chest.

"We believe you're meant to be the Sage, brat." Jiraiya informed him.

"...No seriously, how do I fit in?" Naruto asked. Roshi laughed at the reaction while Fukasaku and Jiraiya exchanged amused smiles. Naruto looked between them. "What? Oh c'mon, I don't want to be a sage! I have a girlfriend!"

"And I a wife, and he's a lecher." Fukasaku added, throwing a thumb over at Jiraiya, who squawked.

"I'm _not_ a simple lecher!" Jiraiya put his fists on his hips and puffed out his chest. "I'm a _super_ pervert!"

"Represent, brother!" Roshi cheered with a fist raised proudly.

"...Can I go back to Beacon now?" Naruto asked Fukasaku, who sighed.

"No, Naruto-boy," he said. "Regardless of whether you believe the Great Prophecy or not, our original intention was to bring you here to teach you the ways of what you could call 'Sage Aura'."

"...Did you just make that up, because it sounds like you just made that up." Naruto scrutinized the old man with a look.

"I am not the one who named it such." Fukasaku sent a smirk to Jiraiya, who huffed and turned away.

"Well, that's pretty much what it is," Jiraiya said under his breath. He turned and frowned back at the old man. "Besides, I was like ten when I started to learn it, Pa. Sayenjutsu or whatever sounds stupid."

" _Sen_ jutsu, Jiraiya, _Sen_ jutsu." Fukasaku grumbled. "It is of the old language and translates to Art of Sage Techniques."

"...Why not just call it that then?" Naruto asked.

"...I take it back, the punk's not a complete dumbass after all."

"You wanna go, Monkey Man!?"

"Enough!" Fukasaku interjected, his cane firmly tapped into the ground and the room filled with power. Naruto was driven to his hands and knees whereas Roshi dropped only down to one knee. Jiraiya looked a bit slouched, but managed to remain upright. Though, with a second glance, Naruto saw that Jiraiya's nose had enlarged and his eyes shrank slightly.

"Dammit, Pa, you nearly snapped my back!" Jiraiya growled as he slowly righted himself.

Fukasaku huffed and glared at him. "If you'd have managed to finish your training in the proper manner when you were younger, drawing on Remnant's natural energy wouldn't be such a hassle for you!"

 _Wha...I can't...I can't move..._ Naruto thought as he tried to bring his semblance up. His body and hair began to shine brightly, but no matter how much effort he put into it, he could not rise back to his feet. In fact, he was actually slowly getting closer to the ground. It was like the weight of the sun was on his back.

"M-Master F-Fukasaku...We'll stop! Please...Mercy!" Roshi groaned from his place on the ground.

Fukasaku sighed sharply through his nose before the weight suddenly vanished. Naruto accidently launched himself into the ceiling and Roshi rose up to fast, causing him to stumble. Naruto fell courtesy of gravity and landed with a grunt on his face.

"...Not cool..." He groaned. With a hand on his now sore nose, the whiskered blond looked at Fukasaku. "What the hell was that?"

"That, Naruto-boy, was the power of a Sage." Fukasaku explained simply. He smiled. "Do you recall when you first awoke, unable to stand or move at all due to the effects of the drug?"

"...Yeah? Sort of..." Naruto mumbled. "You tapped me with your cane and...it vanished..."

"I manipulated a small amount of Remnant's natural energy into my aura and then transferred it into your body. It purged your cells of the toxin and relaxed your soul. You, momentarily, took in a sample of 'Sage Aura'." Fukasaku explained.

"...One more time?" Naruto asked.

"Think of it like this, Brat." Jiraiya cut in. He gestured to the room. "What in this room has energy in it?"

"Just us, right? We've all got aura." Naruto mumbled.

"Wrong!" Jiraiya grinned. He pointed to the torches. "Fire has energy, torches that hold the fire have energy, the mountainside this room is carved out of has energy, grass, the oils, the gem on the statue's neck, everything in this room has some sort of energy powering it. Some call it magic, others may simplify it as aura, but when you get down to it, it's just that respective thing's natural energy."

"...Okay, so everything has natural energy." Naruto nodded. He frowned. "But how does that explain-?"

"Hold on, he hasn't even agreed to learn it yet," Roshi said swiftly and with a frown on his face. "Not to mention I'm still in the room."

"Yes, but you know about it already," Jiraiya said.

"No, no, he's right." Fukasaku nodded. "Only Sages and Apprentices may learn of Senjutsu. Naruto-boy has not accepted the offer, so he may not learn."

"What, seriously? You're going to dangle that in front of me and leave me hanging!?" Naruto asked, shocked at the turn of events. "Come on, there has to be some way to let you teach me-!"

"No, Naruto. They're right." Jiraiya sighed. He folded his arms over his chest. "You may only learn once you agree to the training."

"...I don't have to give up any worldly possessions?" Naruto asked, skeptically.

"Nope." Jiraiya shook his head, grinning madly.

"How long does it take?"

"It depends on how long _you_ take." Fukasaku elaborated. "There is no set time, and we will teach you for days straight. You will grow spiritually. This is not something that can be rushed."

"What about school?" Naruto asked, frowning. "Atlas has the whole place locked down after the Breach–"

"And they're stuck in their dorms after your night out." Jiraiya waggled his brows and grinned. Two thumbs were raised. "By the way, congrats on no longer being a virgin in my eyes!"

"...Oh, god, you didn't-!?"

"Worry not, Naruto-boy," Fukasaku interrupted with a smile. "My wife prevented that from happening."

"Which, again, I say is bullshit." Jiraiya pouted. "The way that girl was limping down the stairs, practically hanging off of him, oh, I bet it was perfect for my series!"

"Yang's off limits!" Naruto hissed, his face red as he pushed the memories _way_ back. He absentmindedly rubbed the phantom pain on the side of his hips from how hard Yang's legs wrapped around them.

"That's fine and dandy and all, but can we get down to business?" Roshi asked irritably. He tapped his foot and threw his thumb towards the door. "I have somewhere to be, so make a choice, Punk-ass."

Naruto folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, thinking about it. On one hand, he'd be away from his team, friends and his girlfriend for an unknown amount of time. On the other hand, he'd learn something new that he could keep in reserves for the Vytal Festival _or_ use mercilessly on the Fourth War.

 _...Damn my murderboner for the Fourth War. Why's it gotta be so hard?_ Naruto internally groaned, dreading how his friends, let alone Yang, would react to this. Naruto sighed and opened his eyes.

"All right. I'll do it."

"Great! Now, c'mon ya little smartass." Roshi grumbled as he stormed past and grabbed Naruto by the top of his head in a claw-like hold. The whiskered blond was dragged outside by the older Faunus, protesting along the way.

Jiraiya smirked and looked at Fukasaku. "Told you he'd do it."

"Indeed. Now, I believe we have a show starting."

"Oh yeah...this is going to be good."

* * *

Naruto stood across from Sun's grandfather, fists raised and at the ready, while Roshi kept his arms crossed and his tail swayed from one side to the next. Around them was a small crowd of people, several small children on taller parents or siblings' shoulders, each muttering under their breath or pointing at Naruto and/or Roshi. Between the two, Jiraiya stood with his hands on his hips and a grin on his face.

"All right!" He brought his hands together in a clap and rubbed them. "Let's get this started. There's one rule to this fight and that rule is very simple: No Fatalities. Are we clear?"

"As if he'd be able to." Roshi chuckled.

Naruto's eye twitched. "Oh, I'm so tempted to break that rule!"

"Good! You'll need to be to beat me, Punk-ass."

"Fighters at the ready...Begin!" Jiraiya jumped away and landed on a nearby tree branch, which had a bowl of snacks set on the limb. The audience followed his example, moving to higher ground to watch the fight.

Ignoring the spectator's odd decision, Naruto kept his arms up and glared at the older man. He wasn't going to get hotheaded, not over this. He'd let the unknown variable make the first move. Naruto was ready to bring his semblance up at a moment's notice.

"Not going to go for the first punch?" Roshi asked with a smirk. Naruto growled.

"I don't need your handicaps!" he shot back.

"Hm...Yeah you do." Roshi smirked. He closed his eyes and chuckled. When the eyes snapped open, molten red had replaced black orbs. Slowly, Roshi's entire body began to burn, and the ground beneath his feet began to burn. Roshi laughed madly as he became a being of lava.

"You should've taken my offer when you had the chance, boy!" he cried out. Roshi cupped his hands together and a small ball formed between his palms. "Let's see how good you are at dodging!"

Naruto, who was initially gaping at the semblance displayed to him, had to dive out of the way of the ball of lava that was thrown at him. The lone tree that stood behind Naruto quickly burned at the impact and teetered to the side. The blond watched it fall and then snapped his head back to Roshi, whose grin was barely perceivable through the lava-like skin he'd obtained.

"Bet'cha didn't see that coming, did ya?"

 _Nope! Didn't see that coming at all!_ Naruto silently agreed as he let his semblance rise up to the eighth degree. He got back to his feet and rushed at the man of lava. In hindsight, it wasn't a brilliant plan. Heck, he didn't even have a plan. Then again, that's how he rolled nine times out of ten.

"All right, Punk, you're good, but I'm still not impressed." Roshi grinned widely and spread his legs in a crouch. He cupped his hands at his side. The bar across his face burned a bright red as his eyes narrowed. Naruto pumped more aura through his body, taking his semblance up to the tenth degree, so he could stop the older fighter before he finished whatever he was up to. He brought a fist back in preparation to punch, only for his momentum to be halted by Roshi's now outstretched hands, the bottom of each palm vertically connected, that slapped into his torso.

"Let's see you take the brunt of my devastating power!" Roshi cackled. He pushed his hands out and the aura ripped through Naruto's shirt. A yell of exertion escaped the older Faunus' lips. "Ha!"

A bright flash of red aura filled the clearing. Naruto's eyes shot wide and a scream escaped his lips as every nerve in his body at once relayed one word to his brain: _PAIN_! The blond screamed himself hoarse and could see only bright white for a while despite the fact he knew that the attack had come to a stop. He stayed on his feet, unable to see, hear, or feel anything outside of pain. Then, once more, Naruto succumbed to blissful, welcomed embrace of darkness.

* * *

Roshi let his semblance dwindle away and cracked his neck. He stared at the still standing form of Jiraiya's godson and let out an impressed hum. A finger extended and pushed against the glowing blond's forehead. The boy fell flat to his back and hit the ground with a small thud.

"Humph, now that's an unfair semblance if I saw one." Roshi mused. He let his hands fall behind his back and tilted his head. The punk appeared that he was mostly unharmed thanks to his semblance, but Roshi's aura attack bypassed the exterior and delivered ruthless internal damage.

"Like you're one to talk." Jiraiya muttered as he jumped down and landed beside his godson. He glared up at the Faunus. "Was that necessary?"

Roshi pursed his lips, tilted his head and looked up. He looked back at Jiraiya with a cheeky grin and nodded.

"...You're a dick."

"And you're an arse."

"Don't you have an interrogation to conduct?" Jiraiya's question made Roshi scoff and roll his eyes.

"Fine, fine..." He turned to walk away but stopped and looked back. "He's not bad. Could use some more work in the tactical department."

"...And?"

"And he's a glutton for punishment." Roshi noted. He smirked. "Little bastard didn't even have the decency to fall down once he was unconscious."

"Yeah, he gets that from his parents." Jiraiya chuckled as he picked Naruto's unconscious body up and threw him over his shoulder. "Well, I should take him back to Beacon, let him rest up for a bit before we do any serious Sage training. Not to mention there's that lead we've got to follow up on."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll go make sure our stool pigeon is telling the truth. You get him back to Ozzy's little castle," Roshi said with a smirk. His tail swished. "Let me know when the training begins. I want a front row seat."

"You'll be the second to know." Jiraiya chuckled before he walked over to a marked wall and a red and black portal appeared before him. The old sage disappeared with his godson/apprentice over his shoulder, and Roshi shook his head.

"Things are certainly starting to get very interesting..." the monkey-tailed Faunus mused. He chuckled and began to walk over towards a small hut that had two guards posted outside the door. "Very interesting indeed."

* * *

 **AN: Yay! We made it to 2016 without any serious, world ending catastrophes! Always a thing to celebrate in my book. Though, the reviews could start to show up...that'd be nice.**

 **Anyway, yeah, Roshi whupped Naruto's ass, but, c'mon, he's like Jiraiya! Old, experienced and capable of a crap ton of collateral damage. Hope you all enjoyed and had a happy new years eve!**

 **REVOLCANOMODE!**


	29. Bruised

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXIX: Broken**

* * *

 _Beacon Academy has some of the latest available worldwide technology within its walls. Most of which, of course, focused primarily on keeping the test Grimm within their pens or to assist teachers with educating their students. However, the really impressive things went to the Academy's medical wing to assist with mending severely broken bones or sealing gashes that were too deep for an individual's aura to heal. Medical technology in a Huntsmen/Huntresses Academy was among the most expensive and most effective technology that existed on Remnant today._

"Of course, that technology is _useless_ when it comes to keeping a ticking time bomb locked in a hospital room," Sasuke said under his breath as Haku finished reading a pamphlet for the school's medical ward. They along with Kurama – who was currently checking them in for visitation – were here to check on their "dumbass of a leader" who went and got kidnapped by his perverted godfather after he went on an overnight date with his girlfriend.

It was the real juicy speculation about _why_ the godfather kidnapped him that spread so fast. Some believed that Jiraiya wanted a 'personal interview' with the speculated new focus of an erotica series, a rumor that was started by the spiteful Sun for hitting on his date at the dance. Others were more prone to believe Kurama's wild tale of some strange ritual to officially declare Naruto as a 'man' in the eyes of Vacuo – Sasuke was rather irked this rumor was even started, considering Vacuo didn't _have_ a set religion or way, since it was the _Wasteland_ of the world.

Kurama, on the other hand, thought it was a gas. The Faunus in question strolled over to them with a small frown on his face.

"So, good news, the idiot's internal systems are stable and he can be out of here by tomorrow at the latest." Kurama began.

"...And the bad news?" Sasuke asked. He had a bad feeling about this.

"The orderlies can't find him."

"...How do you lose someone that's hopped up on painkillers?" Haku asked. There was a beat of silence. "He _is_ hopped up on painkillers isn't he? Jiraiya said-"

"Jiraiya says a lot of things." Kurama and Sasuke drawled together. They shared an annoyed look with one another. "Don't do that. Quit it! ...Okay, now it's getting-AHA! Damn."

Haku looked between his two teammates before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Guys. Focus: Is. Naruto. On. Drugs?"

"Yes." Kurama answered with a nod while Sasuke remained quiet.

"...Are they painkillers?"

"Nope."

"...Then what is he on?" Sasuke asked in Haku's stead, since the androgynous boy was too busy twitching in irritation.

"Some experimental sedative brought in by a Mistral Med Student." Kurama shrugged.

"...And why was this allowed!?" Haku and Sasuke asked. Kurama held a paper up and Sasuke snatched it. He scanned over the words written on it before his skin turned white. Warily, he looked up at the Faunus, who nodded grimly.

"...Would you like to share what it says with the class, Sasuke, or are you and Kurama going to keep making eyes at each other?" Haku asked.

"Well, you're in a mood. Why is that? Got your period?" Kurama asked.

Haku pulled his scroll out and pointed at the screen. An exclamation point with a three-digit number beneath it was visible. There was an audible buzz before the three-digit number became a _four_ -digit number.

"Our friends aren't allowed to leave the dorm. They figured I would be most likely to keep them up to date." Haku mumbled. There was another buzz and he hung his head. "And Ruby doesn't realize that I need more than a second to respond."

Another buzz and Kurama smirked.

"Wow, she's tenacious."

"Maybe she likes the pretty ones," Sasuke said, a smirk aimed at Haku.

"...Who. Allowed. The. Experiment?" Haku asked again. Sasuke and Kurama lost their amused smiles and grimaced.

"Tsunade Senju." They answered together.

Haku's stern look immediately fell. Tsunade Senju, the Slug Princess, known across Remnant for three things: She's one of the three teammates of the Toad Sage, and one of the two that were still alive; She's probably the most unlucky woman to come out of Vacuo; and to top it off, she is unconditionally agreed to be the _best_ healer in all of Vacuo, and maybe even all of Remnant. To get her approval on something experimental to be used on a _student_ in Beacon...Well, Haku summarized his thoughts on the situation simply.

"...Oh...Fuck."

"Exactly." Kurama nodded. He took the paper back, folded it up, and stuffed it into his pocket. The Faunus gestured towards the hallway. "Maybe we can find out what sort of drug it is from his chart in his room."

" _RUN FOR YOUR_ LIVES _!_ " The scream was faint, but still loud, and was followed by an enraged female voice: " _NA-RU-TO!_ "

"...Kurama..."

"Yes Sasuke?"

Sasuke had a look of mild terror on his face. "Is...Was that who I thought it was?"

"Probably-"

" _SHANNARO_!" There was a loud smack followed by a boom that shook the foundation.

"...Definitely." Kurama amended his statement with a nod.

"Ah. Well then." Sasuke promptly turned around and left the building.

Haku blinked and looked at Kurama.

"...Do I even want to-?"

"It was his ex."

"Ah." A beat. "Should we follow?"

"My instincts say yes...But my desire to not bring the wrath of the Fem-Naruto down on me is greater." Kurama sighed.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"And that makes you a wise man, Haku."

* * *

A few hours ago, Naruto didn't know where he was. He wasn't even entirely sure who he was. Hell, he didn't even know how to tell whether one thing was one thing or if it was another thing. He did know one thing though: Whatever the hell was being fed into his body by the magical clear tube was _awesome_. Naruto felt like he could do whatever he want, and he was _not_ afraid to tell the people that visited him such.

"I'm gonna go to the fuckin' moon." He told the talking pink-headed howler monkey.

"That's nice, Naruto." The Pink Howler mumbled as she scrawled something onto a clipboard.

"Then, I'm gonna take some of the cheese off the moon...and make it into a sandwich." Naruto threw a hand out. "No! No!...Imma put it on ramen. Yeah...Then, I'm gonna fill a crater with ramen...and just ...Damn man, look at my hand...all motion-y and shit..."

"Side effect of hallucination and broken speech." The Pink Howler mumbled again.

"You really got a see this...HOLY SHIT!" Wide, dilated blue eyes locked on the Pink Howler and a finger pointed at her head. "YOU'VE GOT PINK HAIR!"

"Vocal volume control..." The Pink Howler sighed and scribbled something else down. "I swear, this better not be a long lasting side effect."

Naruto fell asleep twenty minutes into his hallucination. He began to dream of mountains and valleys. He dreamt of an angel with beautiful golden hair and lilac eyes giving him his wings. They were mild...and delicious. Then, just as she was about to give him something he'd _really_ enjoy, his damnable conscious started to stir. He awoke to that feeling where he knew he was awake, but didn't want to leave the dream. It was an unpleasant awakening...and a very embarrassing situation for the next nurse that came in. She was a meek thing, wide lavender eyes that stayed locked on his tent just long enough for her face to turn every possible shade of red before she bolted out of his room.

 _Well, that was unprofessional_. Naruto thought to himself as he pulled the IV out of his arm and began to re-dress. Once his pants were back on, he paused and pursed his lips.

"Huh...that girl looked really familiar...Eh, whatever." Naruto shrugged and pulled his complimentary white T-shirt on. He grabbed his coat and went to the door. "Time to get checked out and then visit Yang." He grinned lightly. "Maybe we'll play doctor..."

Once he pulled the door open, Naruto stared at a familiar pair of emerald eyes and shoulder-length pink hair. The girl who had the pink hair stood a head shorter than him, and wore a white doctor's coat over a red vest, and she wore black shorts that were held up a utility belt, as well as heeled sandals similar to Kurenai's.

Naruto blinked.

The girl blinked.

Naruto beamed. "Sakura!"

The girl frowned. "Naruto."

"I thought you were in Mistral with the Old Hag!"

"Naruto." The girl, Sakura, ground her teeth.

"You came to visit! You should've sent me a scroll call so I could tell the others!" Naruto looked away and scratched his cheek. "Especially Sasuke, so he could lay low."

"Naruto!" Sakura finally snapped.

"Eh? What's up, Sakura?" Naruto asked as he looked back at her. When he saw that her unfortunately disproportioned forehead had overshadowed her eyes, he began to pale. Rapidly. "Uh, Sakura? Wh-what's wrong? Are you mad? Please tell me what I did."

"Naruto...Why aren't you in your bed?"

Naruto pouted and began to twiddle his thumbs. "Sakura, you know how I feel about hospitals..."

"Naruto. You were checked in by _Lord_ Jiraiya, and he asked Lady Tsunade to drop by and visit." Sakura frowned. "You've been walking around with a chipped pelvis. Really, it's a miracle that you've even been walking for so long with that fragment still in your hip."

 _Well that explains the excessive soreness._ Naruto thought idly. As he wondered how it happened, his eyes glazed over and a dopey grin crossed his face.

"Naruto? Naruto! Hey! I'm talking to you!" Sakura waved her hand in front of his face. Her eye twitched. "Seriously!? Naruto! I'm taking Sasuke out to Ramen and you're not invited."

"You pink haired howler monkey!" Naruto snapped, making Sakura take a step back. Naruto blinked and clapped his hands over his mouth once he realized what he'd said. _Oh dear Oum, what've I done?_

"...Howler...Monkey...?" Sakura's eyebrow twitched. Her hands clasped together and her knuckles popped. Her eyes shone with malicious intent. "Naruto..."

Throwing logical thought out the window, Naruto fell upon the tried and true instincts that all beings had ingrained in them, primarily the fight or flight response. And with his experience at how often (isn't sarcasm wonderful?) the fight response worked in this situation, Naruto resigned himself to the only other reaction that probably made the situation even worse.

He slipped passed the stunned girl and bolted for the nearest exit.

Unfortunately, he went the wrong way.

And Sakura soon began to chase after him.

Thus, we are brought to the present.

"Get out of my way! Get out of my way! Get out of my way!" Naruto shouted frantically as he jumped over patients, pushed past nurses and doctors, and bowled over everyone else. In the back of his mind, he wondered why the school's medical facility was so full. Then he remembered that there were three additional schools on campus, and a lot of fights could've broken out or spars that took bad turns. They were training to be defenders after all, so there was always a chance for injuries.

All the while, as these thoughts are going through Naruto's head, he's running for his life from the she-devil that was Sakura Haruno. The pink haired girl was checking her fellow doctors into walls and knocking nurses to the ground. She was surprisingly agile when a patient was in view, though. What Naruto really noticed, though, was that she was gaining on him.

 _Geez, it's like Ruby's speed! Curse you Righteous Female Fury! You screw me over yet again!_ Naruto thought with an angry glare up at the sky. When his eyes came back down, he noticed a group of students, one in a wheelchair with a cast on his leg, in his way. With Sakura hot on his heels and the last turn a good three seconds away, Naruto did the only thing he could.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" He shouted as loud as he was able, which was surprisingly loud for a guy who screamed himself hoarse the day before. Like a group of terrified deer, the students froze. Without another word – Naruto already warned them, and probably the rest of Vale – Naruto let his semblance burn to life and moved to the side of the wall. He barreled through like a truck, knocking pipes, wires and concrete out of his way as he cut through to another part of the hospital.

"NA-RU-TO!"

Unfortunately, Sakura followed his path.

Naruto shrieked in fear – he was man enough to admit that his balls had retracted for a good second or two. She wasn't slowed in the slightest and from the corner of Naruto's eye, her right fist looked like it was glowing bright green. Then, there was a sudden lack of air and Naruto flipped onto his back, sliding down the floor to the end of the hall.

With a groan, a blue eye cracked open and stared up at two _very_ annoyed brown eyes that glared down at him. The owner of the eyes had a small purple diamond in the center of her forehead and pale blonde hair that flowed down her back. She wore a greenish-grey kimono top underneath a white doctor's coat, both of which did little to conceal her very impressive cleavage, and black slacks that ended at the ankle, revealing her heeled sandals. Overall, she looked to be in her mid thirties, but in reality, she was nearing her mid-fifties.

"...Granny...Why?" Naruto wheezed out as his semblance dwindled away.

"I just got you out of surgery to remove bone fragments from your body, do you know how annoying it was to learn you were in the hospital _again_ , Brat?" The woman asked with a hard glare. She lifted a hand up to her nose and pinched it, releasing a sigh. "You know what? Just take your medicine."

Naruto grimaced as the woman stepped out of the way and revealed a _very_ upset Sakura. The pink haired girl cracked her glowing green knuckles and scowled down at the blond.

"...Mercy?"

Sakura grabbed Naruto by the collar and lifted him up off the ground and into the air with one hand. The other pulled back and Naruto cringed prematurely when it flew. A beat passed and he peeked open one eye. Sakura's fist was a centimeter away from his face. Sakura pulled it away and smirked at him as she lowered him onto the floor, making Naruto blink. He then slowly grinned and interlaced his hands behind his head.

"You just pranked me..." Naruto chuckled. "Wow, that was a good o-"

"SHANNARO!"

Naruto didn't even have time to comprehend the shout before he found himself flying back down the hall. Then he went through the wall at the end. Past a very steamy scene between a doctor and a nurse – he'd have to find out what the hell that was about later – before he landed on the ground outside of the medical ward. Distantly, he heard someone scream 'New Record'.

"...Oh, hell, Naruto. Why'd you have to piss her off?" A very annoyed grumble came from beneath the rubble beside him.

"Ugh...S-Screw you...Sasuke..."

* * *

"Damn, Kurama, you sure grew up." Sakura mused as she looked _up_ at the Faunus that was partnered with her ex and one of her two best friends. "You used to be my height! When'd the growth spurt kick in?"

"About a week after you left for med school." Kurama shrugged. He looked down at his annoyed partner, who had his arm in a sling from a bad dislocation that needed at least a day to heal, and smirked. "Surprised him, too."

"Screw you, Ōtsutsuki." Sasuke grumbled lowly, keeping his head down and his gaze averted from his ex-girlfriend. They didn't part on the best of terms, so this was extremely awkward for him.

"I'm sure Velvet wouldn't appreciate that." Haku chuckled as he secretly sent a picture of Naruto's grinning face to Yang to appease her and her teams' barrage of questions. He was sure to get a shot of the 'good' side of Naruto's face, which did _not_ have a giant bruise on it.

"Velvet!?" Sakura asked, emerald eyes gleaming as they turned to Kurama. "You have _one_ girlfriend? Wow, miracles do happen. You managed to keep it in your pants longer than I thought you would."

"Did you just call me a slut?" Kurama asked in mock offense.

"You did jump from girl to girl rather quickly." Naruto added while he pressed the icepack against the right side of his face. He began to whistle innocently when Kurama sent him a dark look.

"...This means war." Kurama vowed. He looked back at Sakura and smirked. "Naruto had a girlfriend for the first eight months after he got back from his journey with Jiraiya."

"Oh, you dick..." Naruto grimaced as Sakura turned towards him with a new gleam in her eyes.

" _You_ had a secret girlfriend? _You_?"

"...Ouch, Sakura. My feelings..." Naruto pouted, looking like a sad kitten as he did. Kurama snapped a photo with his scroll and sent it off to Yang. Along with the caption of: 'He misses you shoo mush'.

 _And so it begins._ Kurama thought with a grin as he got revenge on both Naruto _and_ Haku. He felt his tail swish mischievously. _Now to add fuel to the fire._

"He did. I met her." Kurama added. "Pretty, too. Almost as pretty as his current girlfriend."

"...Oh my god. I have to go call Ino." Sakura rushed out of the hospital room. A beat passed before she poked her head back in and glared at Naruto. "Don't. Run. Away."

Naruto cringed and nodded somberly. Sakura beamed and pulled her head back out as she shut the door. There was a sharp crack and Naruto glared at Sasuke, who made a whipping gesture.

"At least Yang lets me carry my balls. Sakura still has yours." Naruto hissed.

"...You fucker." Sasuke scowled.

"Kurama, why am I getting cussed out by Yang?" Haku asked dryly. He paled a bit at the last sent message. He didn't even want to know how a knee could bend that way.

The Faunus smirked and his tail swished. "Think next time before you tell a girl I know about Velvet, Haku."

The door burst open again and Sakura held her scroll out to Naruto. "Ino wants to grill you."

Naruto grimaced and waved his free hand frantically. The scroll was tossed over to him and, with a betrayed whimper, he lifted the scroll up to his ear.

" _Details! I want to know_ everything _!_ "

Naruto winced and pulled the scroll away from his head at the shriek. He sent Sakura and his teammates a dirty look before he brought the scroll back to his ear. "Hello to you too, Ino- _Pig_."

" _If I wasn't flying to my next gig, Uzumaki, I'd kick you in the nuts._ "

"You've been saying that since we were ten." Naruto rolled his eyes.

" _Enough chit-chat. Details. New girl. What's she like? Is she a redhead? Please,_ please _tell me it's a redhead._ " Ino pleaded. The whiskered blond groaned and flopped back in his bed.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I like red _hair_ , not red _heads_."

" _...Wow, seriously? It's not a redhead? ...Does she have long dark hair? Is it the princess of your dreams?_ "

"She's a golden blonde, Ino."

"Give me that." Kurama snatched the scroll and set it to speaker. "Ino? It's Kurama."

" _Oh! Hey foxy, still thinking about my offer?_ "

"Offer? Oh yeah...Er, never mind. You're on speaker, Ino."

" _So? Offer spreads to your teammates, too. Naruto, Sasuke, how'd you like to be my groupies? C'mon, three of you and one little ol' me...Do good and I'll bump you up to Security Guards with benefits._ "

Naruto and Sasuke's eyebrows rose up to the top of their heads. Sakura shook her head and Haku laughed. Kurama rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Ino. Focus. Naruto's girlfriend."

" _She can come, too. I don't mind. What's she like?_ "

"She's basically a female Naruto." Sasuke, Haku and Kurama drawled. Sakura paled rapidly and Naruto scowled. Yang was more than just a female version of him dammit.

" _...Oh god, have they reproduced yet?_ "

"Thankfully no," Sasuke said.

"But they have started to try." Kurama added.

" _Aw, man, does that mean Naruto's V-card was stolen by some blonde bimbo!?_ "

"...Ino, _you_ are a blonde bimbo." Naruto, Sasuke, Kurama and Sakura drawled.

" _Which makes it okay for me to say it. Duh._ " Ino scoffed through the scroll. " _So, did she?_ "

"No, Ino, that was stolen by Naruto's ex." Sakura answered.

" _Naruto has an_ ex _!? Damn, boy, you move fast! You've been gone what, six, seven months?_ "

"That's about right." Haku nodded.

" _Oh, who was that? That was a sexy voice._ "

"That's Haku. He's a pretty boy. Like, girly pretty, not Sasuke pretty." Naruto answered, smirking at his rival who glared back at him.

" _Send me a pic later. But anyway, back to the Ex. Details! When did you two meet, Naruto?_ "

"...a few months after I got back from my trip with Jiraiya..." Naruto mumbled sheepishly. "We dated for the rest of the school year."

" _Dammit, really? See Sakura! I told you I should've asked him out! Humph...Would've had a fine tanned ass to hold onto for a while instead of Sai's pasty butt._ "

"How is Sai?" Sakura asked.

" _Baked out of his mind. It makes for interesting art, but, damn does it affect his sex life. Back to the ex. What's she like?_ "

"Got a desert thief princess vibe to her." Kurama answered. He set the scroll down and crossed his arms over his chest as he growled. "And she's hanging out with a douchebag and some slippery bitch...Can't get a read on them."

" _Ooh, a bad girl? Naruto, you dog. Oh, shit, we're landing. Gotta get off my Scroll before the pilot flips his lid again. Nice talking to you all, see you at the festival boys! And you, Sakura, call me later with more details!_ "

"Bye Ino." Team NHKS chorused.

"Talk to you later, Pig." Sakura added playfully.

" _See you, Billboard Brow._ "

The call ended there.

Then another scroll began to ring.

Eyes turned to Haku, who pulled his scroll out. He smiled and held the phone out to Naruto. The image on the screen was that of a grinning lilac-eyed blonde who had her arm around an out of screen blue-eyed blond from way back when Teams RWBY, JNPR and NHKS first began to hang out at the beginning of the semester.

"Naruto. It's for you."

"...I _fucking_ hate you, Haku."

* * *

"Oh my god, your face is all gross and beat up!" Ruby exclaimed as soon as Naruto walked into the dorm rec room. A rather large purple bruise covered the right side of his face. It started at the bottom of his eye, rode down his cheek and ended three-fourths of an inch from his jawline. His right eye was squinted slightly and if one looked closely, the bruise was _slowly_ receding.

"Yes, because I _love_ hearing that after my childhood 'girl-friend' knocked me the fuck out with one hit." Naruto mumbled sourly while he made his way over to the loveseat where his girlfriend sat. He sat down beside her and let his arm fall behind Yang's side of the couch. As soon as he was comfortable, Yang leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Poor big baby...did the mean girl beat you up?" She cooed playfully, a teasing gleam in her eye.

"...Yes..." Naruto groaned. They'd discussed the terms of his punishment for A) not immediately calling her once he was sobered up and conscious in the medical ward and B) not telling off his other childhood friend for offering him what were implied to be sexual favors. For the next two weeks, Naruto was essentially Yang's slave, body pillow and verbal punching bag. Basically, his leash was shortened to less than a foot long.

"Would you like a kiss to make it better?" Yang asked.

"Yes...Please?" Naruto pleaded with a small pout.

"Please what?" The blonde grinned.

"Please..." Naruto hesitated and sent a glance Ruby's way, actually a little bit sorry for what he had to say next. "...Honey-Boobs?"

"Good boy." Yang mused before she rewarded her boyfriend with a gentle kiss on the lips. Ruby gagged while the rest of their teams rolled their eyes.

"Ew, that's so gross!" Ruby stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Grow some thicker skin, Ruby, you're going to see that in the real world." Kurama nudged the girl. She looked at him with a pout and he grimaced. With a heavy sigh, Kurama then held up a new weapons catalog he purchased with the limited freedom he had while his team leader was checking out of the medical ward. "Here, now stop pouting."

"Whoa, a diamond cast slug barrel-axe...Made out of backyard supplies!?" Ruby dove into the magazine and walked over to a couch while Kurama shook his head and went to the recliner he usually claimed. Haku and Sasuke exchanged a look before they raced for the Big Screen to play a game while Weiss and Blake went back to their respective books.

"So," Yang broke the silence, but remained lying on her personal body pillow. "Good news from one of my old Signal friends, the lockdown is ending soon."

"And the bad news?" Naruto asked.

"Well, it's not bad news for Ruby, but for you guys..." Yang trailed off.

"...And the _bad_ news?" Naruto insisted.

"Some of Signal's students are coming to interview the older students of Atlas, Beacon, Shade and Haven."

"...How is that bad news for us?" Weiss asked. She smiled at Ruby. "Maybe we'll get to meet some of your friends and get some insight on how you acted at your starter."

"Uh-huh, yeah, sure. Sounds like a good doily design, Weiss."

"Well, the chaperone is our dad." Yang said.

Naruto suddenly shivered and looked around.

"Anyone else feel that?"

"Feel what?" Sasuke asked, half distracted.

"Like a draft or something just blew through here." Naruto mumbled. He adjusted himself in his seat and looked very confused. In the end, he shrugged it off.

He was probably just being paranoid.

* * *

 **AN: So we end up another chapter further. We're introduced to Sakura and Tsunade. Naruto get's beat up again – poor guy, I can't cut him a break. To be fair though, he does get a whole lot more action than his teammates do.**

 **Think about that...**

 **AND REVALLANGE!**


	30. Evaluations

**AN: Okay, so, shout out to Toa Naruto. Thank you so much for the commissioned art that now acts as this story's cover. Props to manu-chann of DeviantArt for the** _ **amazing**_ **artwork. The colors just pop, the characters look exactly how I envision them, just, thank you. Thank you so much.**

 **If you want to check out great artwork of other fandoms, go to manu-chann's page on DeviantArt. Gifted is an understatement.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXX: Evaluations**

* * *

"Well, I'm thoroughly impressed, Brat. There's not even a hint of a bruise left." The medical mammary-blessed genius that was Tsunade said to Naruto as she manhandled his jaw and turned his head different directions. The teen was seated shirtless in Beacon's medical building. It was time for the physical and mental evaluations for the Vytal Festival. Tsunade took over most of Beacon's teams, something that Ozpin was more than ready to back up, despite her notably Vacoan ties. Particularly when it came to Naruto and his team.

"Granny, with how hard you're grabbing my face, I might get another." Naruto mumbled. He grimaced when Tsunade tightened her grip. She was as naturally strong as he was, and could send someone Cardin's size, fully decked out in his armor, flying with just a flick of her finger. Even Yang at her maddest, that Naruto had seen anyway, couldn't do that.

At least, Naruto prayed she couldn't do that.

"Loudmouth brats should address their doctors with respect." Tsunade grit out through a cheery smile while she squeezed Naruto's face.

"Ow, leggo of me, ya old hag!"

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Tsunade released Naruto's face and then _gently_ bopped him on the head with the bottom of her fist. While the whiskered boy rubbed his abused head, she shook hers in bemusement. Tsunade went over to enter her notes for the next part of the evaluation and mumbled under her breath, "Why you had to take after your mother in that regard, I'll never know."

"Yeah, me either." Naruto muttered lowly. He rolled his jaw and grabbed his shirt, prepared to get dressed again.

"Don't go far." Tsunade cut him off and turned back around to face him. She pulled a rubber glove on and let it snap around her wrist. With her ungloved hand she pointed at Naruto's pants. "Drop 'em and get ready to cough."

"...Oh dammit." Naruto groaned. Though he didn't _mind_ dropping his drawers, he had no reason to have shame for his body, the blond wasn't exactly _keen_ on dropping his drawers so someone who he saw as a grandmother could give his boys a check up. "Is this really necessary?"

"What's wrong, did you shrink in the tub?"

"You're a perverted old bat, I hope you're aware of that."

"For the love of – Just man up and drop your pants, Naruto!" Tsunade snapped.

"Fine!" Naruto undid the buckle of his belt and let his jeans fall. His green boxers with pink hearts soon followed. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and looked away as Tsunade began to inspect him. His eye twitched. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"Do you really want to be smart with a woman who has your balls in her hands?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto clammed up. He'd already had Yang squeeze his boys in a way he didn't approve of. It wasn't an experience he wanted to risk happening again. Let alone with Tsunade's strength. No amount of medicine, healing or aura would make _that_ get better. His boys would be pretty much useless, which sucked because Naruto _did_ want kids later in life. Would he have kids with Yang? He could see himself having a couple of lilac-eyed blondes runnin around and smashing rocks with their bare fists.

* * *

Elsewhere, on a small island miles west of Vale, a blond haired man suddenly stopped mid-sentence as he explained the theory of hunting strategy to his class. Lilac eyes flared red for the briefest of moments. The chalk in his hand exploded when he clenched his hand into a fist and the students flinched.

 _Someone is fantasizing about my little sunshine._ The man thought angrily. _Someone needs to get a boot up their ass!_

* * *

Naruto shivered as he pulled his pants back up. It felt like someone just walked over his grave.

"Well, there's no signs of anything too concerning. And you already admitted that you are sexually active." Tsunade mused as she looked over Naruto's chart. "About how many times a week would you say you have sex?"

"Every hour of each day." Naruto answered dryly. "Double that on the weekends."

"...Smartass." Tsunade huffed. She flipped the page up. "Weight's good, aura levels are still abnormally high, and as far as I can tell, you're in the best shape among your class."

"It's my secret diet." Naruto bragged.

"...All you can eat ramen?" Tsunade drawled. Naruto merely grinned in answer and she sighed, but smiled. "I'm starting to think that there's something in the broth, hidden amongst the salt and fat. Your parents loved it, too and they were _never_ sick either."

"Duh. Ramen is the food of the Gods." Naruto said with a bright smile. He loved being reminded of his parents' love for the noodle dish.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and tossed the chart onto a table. "Just get out of here, you goof. You're cleared for the Tournament."

"Yes! Freedom!" Naruto whooped as he ran out of the room. Tsunade shook her head.

"That boy is just as hyper as his mother was," she said. Tsunade went to the door and looked at the nurse. "Send in the next one!"

* * *

"So, you're from Fog, huh? I've heard great things about the new headmaster." Sakura said as she checked Haku's eyes. She'd gotten the embarrassing 'check' out of the way first, since she hardly knew him. It was a bit awkward considering their ages, but Sakura was a professional. Er, well, she was a professional when she wasn't chasing stupid childhood friends through the halls.

Stupid Naruto and his stupid problem with hospitals.

At least Tsunade was there to have her back.

"I've been out of touch since I graduated and fell into an apprenticeship." Haku replied. He blinked out the spots in his eyes as Sakura moved on to examine his ears. "So...You and my team were...close?"

"Heh, close is an understatement." Sakura chuckled. "They were _my_ teammates before they were yours. We were a solid unit, Naruto was our 'heavy hitter', Sasuke and I were on support, Kurama was our intelligence gathering battery, and Kakashi was our perverted lazy teacher. Some of my best memories were with Team Kakashi."

"Team Kakashi?" Haku asked. He'd heard it mentioned from time to time when his teammates would speak of their past, but other than that, their lips were sealed.

"Kon puts academy students under experienced Huntsmen, five man teams, and would use the experienced leader's name to differentiate them. Though, to most we were Team Seven; the luckiest rookies in the whole class. We were tight, too. A little family: Kurama the smug older brother, Sasuke the...well, he wasn't like a brother, I'm sure you know, and Naruto was our annoying little brother." Sakura answered with a smile. She set down the tool and prepared her stethoscope. "We did a few missions together before finally graduating and...parting ways. The boys came to Beacon and I went to Mistral to study medicine, eventually becoming Lady Tsunade's apprentice. Take a deep breath...good. Exhale."

"I'm...surprised you didn't come with them," Haku said gently. He shivered when Sakura pressed the cold stethoscope against his back. "Wow, that's cold."

"So were they," Sakura said with a small frown. "Surprised I mean. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to stay together, but...I was only a hindrance to them. Sasuke was the best in the class, Kurama fought scarily smart and Naruto improved with each fight we had, even managing to capture a live Ursa on his own once. But they had to help me nine times out of ten. I decided that I'd put my smarts to good use and would become a member of the MEDC core, the Mandatory Essential Doctors of Combat. MEDCs can choose their assignments, and I figured I would join them later so I could fix them up and have their backs."

"Well, I think it's a grand idea," Haku said with a smile, which Sakura returned. "You care for them and they do for you."

"Yes, I'm sure. Like I said, Naruto's the little brother I never had, thank god. I had to give him a firm whack every now and then. I mean, how else is he supposed to learn that he shouldn't be peeking on the girls in the showers?" Sakura sighed. She paused and gave Haku a look. "Don't tell him I told you that. Neither Sasuke nor Kurama knows he peeked on me."

"Oh, I won't." Haku was sure to file that tidbit away for later. Kurama possibly already knew, but in case he didn't, now Haku had something to use against his team leader if he got too rowdy. There was a reason Haku's master was a solo act...even if he didn't do the most glamorous of work. Trust was a hard thing to build when it had been broken far too many times.

"And Kurama, I mean wow...he's definitely changed if he's finally got a serious girlfriend. And Sasuke..." Sakura smiled. Her smile became distant. A moment passed and Haku waited patiently. Unfortunately, nothing would come and he would be left wondering.

"Enough about my past," Sakura said with a sigh as she went over to her counter and looked over the chart. "Tell me, what's the old apprentice of The Demon doing in Beacon Academy?"

Haku froze and looked at Sakura, who looked back at him calmly.

"H-How do you-?"

"Your psyche evaluation file prior to the court case was filled out by one of my MEDC teachers," Sakura said. Her eyes were a bit harder than before, but otherwise her face was blank.

"...You want to make sure I'm not a threat." Haku deduced. "That I won't hurt anyone in the tournament."

"No." Sakura shook her head and gave him a firm look. "I want to make sure I can trust you to take care of my 'brothers'."

"I've been on their team for almost a year," Haku said with a frown.

"I've known them my whole life." Sakura frowned. "The Demon is still at large and your case was thrown out on a technicality. You've proven that you aren't a coldblooded assassin, but according to Headmaster Ozpin's personal notes on your file, you're also 'quiet.' 'Distant.' 'Studious over social.' And you're 'more prone to observe than to act.'"

Each mark made Haku's head hang a bit further than the last. Sakura watched him warily, waiting to see how he would react before she made a call. A soft breath was taken in and Sakura's ears perked up.

"...Naruto, Sasuke and Kurama are my friends." Haku began softly. He looked up at Sakura with a firm stare, a look she'd seen many times in her teammates' eyes, in her own eyes when a test or practical had her frazzled.

Determination.

"If Mas-No, if Zabuza does come back for me, I will not go with him. If he threatens them, I will end him. I am Haku Yuki, student of Beacon Academy and a proud member of Team NHKS. I will do all I can to protect my precious people, and there is no one more precious to me than my teammates – no, my _friends_." Haku made a mirror appear beside him and put his hand through it. He snatched a scalpel from the supply drawer. Before Sakura could stop him, the androgynous teen then used the surgical instrument to cut his hand. Haku clenched his cut hand into a fist as his eyes stared unblinkingly into Sakura's. "Call me devoted, call me unhinged, call me crazy, I don't care. With this blood, I, Haku Yuki, swear to you that my loyalty lies first and foremost with my precious people. I will stand with them against all odds, help them shoulder all of their pain, and nothing will stop me. Not my old master, not a single Grimm, not the White Fang, not the Fourth War, and certainly not a doctor with a pen and pencil."

Sakura stared for several long minutes, still in shock at Haku's speech and actions. A beat passed before she scribbled something down on her notes. Then she set the clipboard on the counter and walked back to Haku. She grabbed his wrist and forced his hand open.

"What are you-?"

"Ozpin also said that you were without a doubt one of the kindest souls he'd ever met," Sakura interrupted him as she looked over his injury. "He said that you deserved to be redeemed for what your old master put you through, that you were bound to be an illuminating force like every other student of Beacon."

Sakura took the scalpel from Haku and set it to the side. She grabbed a roll of tape, a bottle of disinfectant and a pad of gauze. She applied the disinfectant to Haku's cut and then wrapped the gauze around Haku's hand. A bit of medical tape was wound around the gauze and, once finished, the pink haired girl looked up into Haku's eyes with a smile.

"Kurama's smug attitude tends to make him overconfident, so make sure he doesn't blow it with this girl of his. Sasuke needs to be social, so don't let him hole himself into a book or training, or he'll start to lose it. And please, please, please for the love of God keep an eye on Naruto. He's too careless sometimes, and it's all because of his Semblance."

Sakura put her hands around Haku's injured one. Her hands began to glow green and the sting Haku felt vanished. The gauze and tape were removed, revealing a hand that looked like it hadn't been damaged. Haku looked up at Sakura, more than confused in the slightest, and balked when he was given a light hug.

"Welcome to Team Kakashi, Haku."

* * *

"So...Yang Xiao Long," Tsunade said to her new patient, reading the name off of her chart. The lilac-eyed blonde that was seated on the bed gave her a cheeky grin. A momentary lapse in vision replaced the golden blonde with a fair skinned girl with straight red hair, more purple-ish eyes, and a rounder face. Tsunade had to shake herself out of the sight and let a small smile cross her face. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine. A bit annoyed with your pink haired nurse, but overall fine."

"Annoyed?" Tsunade asked. She glanced down at the teenager's chest and then looked back up, a bit warily. "She didn't...say anything rude, did she?"

"Not to me. Gave my boyfriend a bit of a hard time, though." Yang mumbled in disapproval. She poked herself in the cheek. "Gave him a massive bruise."

"...Well, he kind of asked for it." Tsunade deflected with a shrug.

"How did he _ask_ for it!?" Yang protested with a frown.

"Idiot tried to esca-er, he tried to leave the hospital. Honestly, he gets it from his mother...How, I don't know, but I know he does. She absolutely hated hospitals. Constantly made me go to her when she was pregnant with him..." Tsunade huffed and flipped through Yang's chart. "Really, if Minato had a bit more of a backbone..."

Yang's ears figuratively perked up.

"You speak as if you knew them."

"Understatement." Tsunade scoffed. She walked over and began to give Yang the basic check up routine, starting with blood pressure. After that, she put two fingers on Yang's wrist and checked her watch. "Well, that's good..."

"So...?" Yang fished when the buxom blonde doctor began to write in her chart again.

"So what?" Tsunade asked.

"How well did you know Naruto's parents?"

Tsunade looked up and arched a brow. "What do you care?"

"...Naruto's my boyfriend," Yang said dryly.

"Yeah, so?"

"...You're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

"Maybe." Tsunade smirked and looked back at her chart. She set the clipboard down and pulled the stethoscope off of her neck. "Jacket off."

"C'mon..." Yang frowned as she removed her jacket and set it beside her. "Can't you tell me a bit about them?"

"What do you care? They're not your parents." Tsunade muttered. She began listening to the heartbeat and lungs. "Deep breath. Good. In. Out. ...Good."

"Yeah, but-"

"Besides, patient-doctor confidentiality." Tsunade interjected. "We shouldn't even be discussing anyone else's medical files."

"Wh-Wait, I wasn't-!" Yang was cut off as a thermometer was stuffed into her mouth. "Gark!"

"Keep your lips closed and the meter under your tongue." Tsunade turned around and began to look through other charts. "So, since you've admitted to being the Brat's girlfriend, I can go ahead and mark you as sexually active, right?"

"I gu-"

"Mouth shut. Hm...How often would you say you have intercourse?" Tsunade asked. There was a hint of a smile on her face.

Yang gave her a dull stare and then pointed at the thermometer.

"Ah. Silly me." Tsunade pulled the thermometer out of Yang's mouth and hummed. "Ninety-six point eight. Good. Now, how often was that? Once a week?"

"...Well, we only just started-"

"I see." Tsunade wrote down the information.

"...Oh, god, you're judging me aren't you?" Yang asked, her eyes wide.

"What? Why would I do that?" Tsunade asked with a tone of innocence that was anything but. "I'm a professional and you just happen to be the girlfriend of my pseudo-grandson, whom was emotionally and mentally scarred by a plethora of girls while he grew up. If I weren't a professional, I would just punt your pretty ass right to the fractured moon. No more warnings required."

Yang gulped. Tsunade had a sickly sweet smile on her face the whole time she 'threatened' Yang. Putting on the 'badass' pants had to wait, for now. Yang had to put on her blunt hardhat.

"...So, do you have a good side I can get on or-?"

"That is a very nice wall, isn't it?" Tsunade cut in, humming as she looked at the blank wall on the left side of the room. "Sturdy, solid, very good at keeping the unwanted weather or people out of here, huh?"

"...Uhh...Yes?" Yang asked, confused. Talk about an abrupt change of topic.

"Yeah, I thought so." Tsunade walked over and raised a hand to it. She curled her finger under her thumb and then flicked the wall.

An explosion immediately followed.

Several alarms went off before a public access speaker came to life with a chime.

" _False alarm, just a Code LS-V, people. Just a Code LS-V._ "

Yang coughed some of the excess smoke out and waved a hand in front of her. Once she thought that she could see without risking any obstruction, a lilac eye cracked open. Then it along with its previously closed partner became wide as saucers.

What was once an intact wall, now was absolute rubble. Even the framework didn't hold up, and that was made out of imported Atlesian steel. (Yang forgets, sometimes, how useful and informative Weiss' nationalism-slash-bragging can be.)

"Sorry about that. Yesterday, that wall offended me by denying me a good window to nurse my hangover near," Tsunade said. She dusted her hand off and went back to the young blonde's chart. "Now, you were saying something about getting on my good side?"

"I'll shut up now." Yang mumbled, her eyes glued to the hole in the wall. She had a quick council meeting and came to a unanimous decision: Tsunade was to be the _last_ person she ever pissed off. _Ever_. To ensure this stayed true, Yang decided that shutting up would be the _wisest_ of moves to make. A rare decision to be made, but she could see the gleam in Tsunade's eyes that was just _asking_ for an excuse, any excuse, to turn Yang into rubble just like the poor innocent wall.

"Atta girl. See?" Tsunade smiled. "You're learning already. Now, drop the top, girl. Time for a breast exam."

 _This fear...I-Is this what guys feel after I grab them down there?_ Yang thought worriedly.

Her eyes widened and her heart rate skyrocketed as Tsunade pulled a pair of rubber gloves on.

In the back of her mind, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like her father, her question was answered in one word.

Yes.

* * *

Elsewhere, the same lilac-eyed teacher from before finished reading his eldest daughter's latest posts on Chirper. He was _not_ invading her personal space, he was just checking up on her and her younger sister's adventures. So, as he finished reading about the Breach and what a bummer it was to be locked up in her dorm, he was confidant that things were all good.

Then, he came across the _picture_.

Some blue-eyed, blond-haired, whisker-faced _punk_ had one of his arms wrapped around his little sunshine's shoulders. Both were seated on a couch, with the teacher's daughter _in_ the punk's _lap_ and holding the camera. The both of them flashed held up a 'peace' sign and grinned like fools. The caption beneath the photo read: "At least I've got good company #BFGF."

Lilac eyes turned red.

The scroll in his hand shattered.

"... NinjaTUde10...You must _die_..."

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, so, sorry for the short and late update. Classes start again next semester and my workload is piling up. Not to mention I've become distracted, once again, with video games and television.**

 **And how about that latest episode?**

 **Ten bucks says RT pulls another Church.**

 **RECABOOSE!**


	31. A Night Out

**AN: I'm** _ **back**_ **baby! Thanks to ToaNaruto, I'm back with** _ **more**_ **fan art ...only yeah, no link. But aside from that, thanks, Toa. And thanks again to manu-chann of DeviantArt for his/her time and talented work. I don't deserve such loving and forgiving readers such as you guys. Sorry for the wait, now let's get it started!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXI: The Night Out**

* * *

"Ahh, just like Dad makes back home!" Jaune sighed out after he lowered the glass of hard root beer from his mouth, the drink leaving a residue of foam to coat his upper lip. Next to him, Ren nodded and held his sake cup in the flat of his palm, occasionally sipping from it.

"See? And you said you didn't think this would be fun!" Kurama chuckled. It had been a month since the evaluations for the Vytal Festival began and a week since the lockdown ended. The Grimm had been effectively pushed back and classes were about to start up once more, so Team NHKS' torturer over the past month and some change decided that the boys needed to relax. He brought them to The Mysterious Tree for a guys' night out, dragging along, after some persuasion on NHKS' part, both males of Team JNPR and all of Team SSSN.

It seemed that the tavern's homely warmth was not exaggerated by Naruto or Yang in any way; all of the customers had smiles on their faces and laughter filled the air. The atmosphere was infectious and all of the boys soon had grins on their faces after a few drinks.

Haku had wandered off to flirt with a few older women, who certainly didn't seem to mind occupying the pretty trap's time.

Sage and Neptune were engaged in a heated drinking game of cents, with Neptune's aim getting worse as he drank more and more after each miss.

The three left Scarlet, Kurama, Ren, Jaune and Sasuke at their rather large table. The Uchiha heir had a bit of a blush stretched across his cheeks and nose, a few giggles escaping him as he read his signed first edition Ninjas of Love in public without a care in the world. He, unlike the other four seated with him, was on his fourth glass.

"Well," the tipsy Uchiha slurred out and pointed a finger at the counter without looking from his drink, "the dumbasses are certainly enjoying themselves."

Kurama, Scarlet, Jaune and Ren all followed his finger.

Then they burst into laughter.

Naruto and Sun were back-to-back, with both holding bottles of ketchup in their hands like microphones, and were singing along to the Vacoan rock song 'Fat Bottom Girls' for the rest of the occupants. It would seem that their inhibitions – or what little there were to begin with – had packed their bags, put on their hats and walked out the door.

"Damn, that 400 Toad Proof has to be destroying their livers." Scarlet chuckled. He tilted his head and pursed his lips when Naruto did a knee-slide across the counter, coming to a stop so that his groin was practically in a girl's face while her friends laughed. "Doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

"He does, and I wasn't going to do anything if he screws up, but self-preservation may require it," Kurama said. He snagged another bottle off the tray of a passing waitress. He snickered when the girl slid a few lien cards into his team leader's pants, accompanied by a folded note that undoubtedly had a number. "In the meantime though…" Kurama whipped his scroll out and snapped a few pictures. "Who am I to complain over easy blackmail?"

"Man, wish I could do that," Jaune said before he took another drink. Beside him, Ren shook his head and next to Ren, Sasuke giggled as he turned the page.

"No. No you do not." Scarlet took another sip of his tea – being designated the sober one earlier that night – which nearly spewed out when the song changed to a slow piano. "Oh."

"My." Ren and Jaune gaped as Naruto got back to his feet, the lien in his pants quickly pocketed, and met Sun at the middle of the counter.

"Thank you, God." Kurama looked up at the ceiling with a wide smile across his face before he gave his full attention to the two blonds. The bar had practically gone quiet as Sun sang along with the piano that played.

"I can't fight this feeling any longer..." Sun began, his hand on Naruto's shoulder. He then turned away from his fellow blond. "Yet, I'm still afraid to let it flow..." His hand dropped from Naruto's shoulder and Sun took a few steps away. "What started out as friendship has grown stronger..." Sun lifted a hand up and crushed it into a fist. "I only wish I had the strength, to let it show~!"

Naruto seemed to take a moment to think over his words – in actuality he was trying to remember the next few lines – before he also turned away and rubbed a hand on his forehead.

"I tell myself that I can't hold out forever..." Naruto lowered his hand from his face and looked into a light. "I said there is no reason for my fears..."

Sun rounded where he stood and grinned at Naruto. "Cause I feel so secure when we're together!" He pointed at the whiskered teen. "You give my life direction!"

"You make everything so clear!" Naruto continued as he returned the point and the grin.

"What." Sage looked up from the drinking game and Neptune followed his gaze.

"The." The cup in the blue-haired teen's hand fell to the floor.

"Fuck?" Haku asked, staring at his friend and Sun as their bromance tested the boundaries when combined with the music.

"And even as I wander-" Sun began, only for Naruto to cut him off.

"I'm keeping you in sight!" The two began to walk towards each other and the customers – no, the audience, wondered just what the hell was going to happen. Well, a few could guess, and even less of those numbers were crossing fingers hoping it would.

"You're a candle in the window..." Sun brushed the back of his hand on Naruto's cheek.

"On a cold dark winter's night~!" Naruto grabbed onto Sun's hips, the Faunus' tail winding around his right arm. Sun rested his arms on Naruto's shoulders and they both tilted their heads back as they continued.

"And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might~!"

"...Best. Night. Ever." Kurama whispered as he captured the whole thing on film. He was going to _own_ Naruto after this. His grin was nearly face splitting when the two teens began to dance gently together on stage, only hints of their drunkenness present in their slow sway.

"And I can't fight this feeling anymore!" Sun and Naruto sang as they parted, a few gasped gently in dismay at the action, only to relax as Naruto's left and Sun's right hands clasped together tightly. Naruto looked down at his clenched right fist and Sun looked off to a light, their eyes were closed and wide grins had been plastered on their faces. "I've forgotten what I started fighting for~!"

"It's time to bring this ship into the shore!" Naruto declared, his gaze snapping back to Sun's.

"And throw away the oars forever!" The Faunus returned, hands grasped with Naruto's as they stared into each other's eyes. They pulled away from each other and took a few steps before they re-embraced, Sun jumping into Naruto's arms.

The crowd screamed in approval.

"But I can't fight this feeling anymore! I've forgotten what I started fighting fo-o-or!" The two blonds sang together while Naruto spun them in place. "And if I have to I'll crawl along the floor! Come crashing through your door!"

Naruto dropped Sun back down to his feet and the two threw their arms out to their sides.

"Baby, I can't fight this feeling any mo-o-ore!" The note was held for a good three seconds before the two blondes embraced again, twisting their bodies in a passionate kiss. The crowd lost it and applauded _wildly_.

Haku was dumbstruck, his hands clapping on autopilot. _Naruto totally just kissed Sun. Holy shit._

Neptune's eyes rolled into his head and he hit the ground with a thud.

Sage stared in disbelief at the sight of Sun and Naruto as they broke from their kiss and began to bow. _Was it all a drunken act?_

"Wow, and I thought the ovation at the dance was for the Hooligans," Scarlet said as he clapped.

"I hope they don't want another blond." Jaune muttered while he and Ren applauded with the audience.

"We can never tell the girls." Ren noted.

"Oh, yeah. Yang would kill us." Jaune agreed.

"...We'd never know why, either."

"Yep."

"Best. Night. Ever." Sasuke grinned as he turned a page in his book.

"Oh, yeah." Kurama nodded in agreement as he continued to record. _Coco will pay big bucks for this._

* * *

"...Something _amazing_ just happened." Yang noted as she looked up from her magazine, eyes narrowed in thought. Her team and the rest of Team JNPR, lacking the phallic organ that would've allowed them to go out on the guys' night, went out to shop and then to a very popular café. The six were seated around a table, their purchases in either their bags or hands. Pyrrha shared a look with Nora before she set her new novel down and furrowed her brows together.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"There was a jiggle in the council's force. Something _amazing_ made them speak to me." Yang mumbled while her lilac eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other, trying to determine of the origin of the 'amazing' event she missed.

"...Right..." Weiss stared at the blonde for a good few seconds before she returned her attention to her new purchase. She had to know whether or not Shepherd rekindled the relationship with her longtime on-off boyfriend or if she goes after the new blood.

"Aw, man...Why's everything so expensive?" Ruby asked around the cookie she nibbled on, silver eyes glued to the prices on the various accessories or parts listed in her latest edition of Remnant's Rifles.

"Is no one else as concerned as I am?!" Yang asked.

"About what?" Blake drawled as she turned the page in the most recent release of the Ninjas of Love series. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and Yang frowned. That only happened when Blake was either thinking about the secret Naruto told her – which he has yet to share! – or when a fish-like odor trapped her nose.

Curious, and more than mildly miffed that no one else cared about the council's disturbance, Yang stood up and walked around the table to peek over Blake's shoulder, scanning across the current page of the third chapter, entitled 'The Event'.

 _The excitable little runt clambered onto the desk and crouched in front of Souske Uchiwa, peering narrowed blue eyes into the seemingly unfazed onyx orbs. Their hate resonated from one to the other, so full of dislike that it could've been palpable in the air._

 _Then the unthinkable happened._

 _The boy seated a row ahead of them, Kibble, leaned back in his seat. His head knocked against Rut-Nao's rear, throwing off his balance so that the young boy had nowhere to go but forward. Eyes widened in horror on either boy's face and time seemed to slow. Something soft, a bit dry, but still unwanted pressed against Rut-Nao's lips._

 _A horrified scream escaped the mouth of the fan-girl seated to Souske's right, and all eyes were drawn to the terrifying predicament. Rut-Nao and Souske were_ kissing _, their lips locked and eyes wide. It held for a good four seconds before they snapped out of their daze._

"...Oh...My...God!" Yang gasped, her lilac eyes wide and her ears burning hotly. Blake jumped and quickly shut her book, the blush on her face just as dark as it was on Yang's.

"Yang! How many times-!?"

"They kissed!? Are you _serious_!? _That's_ the secret!? Blake! You should've told-!"

"Do not sneak up on me when I'm-!"

"I mean, now I know _why_ Naruto didn't want to say anything, but god _damn_! I really could've gotten a threesome if you'd-!"

"Would the both of you _please_ stop? I don't want to hear _any_ spoilers!" Yang and Blake turned to look at the speaker and found Nora glaring daggers at them. She gestured to the green book in her hand, the same book that was in Blake's "I'm still reading about Nimato and Koo-Sheena's last night together, so if you don't _mind_!"

"...N-Nora?" Weiss began, horrified. "You read... _That_ , too?"

"Yes, mostly for the fights, all the lovey-dovey stuff is garbage." Nora rolled her eyes. "I mean, have you heard some of these lines? ' _You're_ my _favorite topping flavor_?' Geez, it's like a couple of old horn-dogs got together and wrote this. Yeah, the sex scenes are hot, but come on, who uses lines like _those_?"

"I-It's the subtext!" Blake protested.

"Hey, I read it late at night to get rid of some stress, but I'm not going to deny that it's got terrible dialogue." Nora shrugged.

Blake had nothing to say to that. She settled on frowning and crossing her arms over her chest, her closed book still in hand. Weiss sent her a victorious smirk that oozed superiority and smugness that only the life of a monopolizing company's heiress could.

Ruby blinked and furrowed her brow. "How do you get rid of stress when you're supposed to sleep?"

Eyes turned to her and stared in disbelief.

"...Ruby...What's it like in your world?" Yang asked.

Ruby frowned at her. "What is that supposed to mean!?"

"Nothing, just read your magazine," Yang said with a sigh. She went back to her seat and picked her magazine back up. She turned the page and grinned. "Cool, the I-No Pigs are going to perform live at the Vytal Festival!"

"I didn't like their last album," Pyrrha said with a shrug. " _Boy Toy_. Seemed too...house."

"I think that's what they were going for." Yang countered.

Thus began a debate over what was and was not good music that went long into the night.

* * *

Early the next morning, after he ensured that the boys had safely returned to their dorm rooms, Jiraiya ventured to the guesthouse to speak with his old teammate. She was as early a riser as he was and met him in the makeshift hospital's cafeteria, a cup of tea before her and black coffee set before him.

"So...You're really doing this?" Tsunade asked, eyes locked on the white-haired man across from her.

Jiraiya grinned. "Why? Gonna miss me, Princess?"

"Not in a million years, Pervert."

"Hey!" Jiraiya pointed at her, a stern frown on his face. "That's _super_ pervert, thank you very much."

Tsunade smirked. "Never going to grow up, are you?"

"Wha-I'll have you know that I've done nothing but grow up, Princess," Jiraiya huffed. He grinned and waggled his brows at her. "Wanna see?"

"You're incorrigible, Jiraiya." Tsunade sighed.

"Ah, but that's why you love me!"

"Like a tumor."

Jiraiya chuckled at the insult while Tsunade smiled lightly. The white-haired man picked up his mug and took a sip of his coffee, smacking his lips at the bitter taste. He thought for a moment, taking in the silence between them and only spoke up again just as Tsunade sipped from her tea.

"You're not going to run off once the festival starts, are you?" Jiraiya asked softly. Tsunade arched a brow and set her cup down.

"The medics here are trained professionals, unlike my students," Tsunade said. Her lips pulled into another soft smile while her eyes narrowed. "Why, are _you_ going to miss me, Jiraiya?"

"Aspects of you. Especially your bountiful, beautiful, expressive _eyes_." Jiraiya grinned at the blonde woman while her brown eyes narrowed.

"...I swear to god, Jiraiya, if we weren't in Vale..." Tsunade grumbled while her knuckles cracked as her fingers curled into a fist.

"Good thing we are," Jiraiya said with a smile. He looked out the window at Beacon's clock tower. "Keep an eye on the brats, will ya? At least until I come back."

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Well, times change people, but you know..." Jiraiya trailed off.

"Yeah." Tsunade mumbled under her breath. She tapped her cup and looked at her longtime teammate. "You're sure you have to-?"

"Princess, don't go getting soft on me now. It's been years since then, maybe things have changed." Jiraiya shrugged. He took another sip of his drink and then grinned as he set the mug down. "If they haven't, then all I can say is that it's my job now to help the next generation, and set a good example for them. For that, I'll gladly lay down my life, and I'll be smiling the whole time." He chuckled at her amused smile and gave her a wink before he stood up. "It's what makes us old guys so cool, y'know."

An accord was struck just as the bells in Vale began to announce the morning's arrival. A nearly empty cup of coffee remained across from Tsunade and she watched with hardly concealed concern as a tall figure walked off of Beacon's grounds, heading towards the city of Vale, throwing a thumb up over his shoulder in an effort to reassure her.

* * *

The two legends were not the only ones to have an interesting morning, as Team RWBY was awoken by sudden knocking on their door. Ruby, already half-awake, dropped from her precariously hanging bed to the floor and ambled to the door, covering her mouth and letting out a yawn.

"Hello?" Ruby asked as she opened the door. Silver eyes that were half-covered by drooped eyelids looked up to the tall blond that stood on the other side of the door. Blue eyes sparkled down at her and a wide smile spread along a grizzled jaw. He wore a beige button-up shirt with a burgundy collar that revealed his chest underneath a brown vest that had a silver shoulder pad over his right arm while a red band was wrapped around his left. Tan slacks that were tucked into brown boots covered his legs. A few seconds ticked by before Ruby's eyes went wide as she recalled who usually wore such an attire.

"D-Dad?" Ruby stared at her father along with her now slightly more awake teammates. After a beat of silence, the youngest freshman student of Beacon squealed in joy and shot at the tall blond man. The use of her semblance left red rose petal-like flakes in the air that dissipated as they fell to the ground from where she stood. Her arms wrapped around her dad's sides and she closed her eyes. She smiled up at him when she felt him give her a hug in return. "Dad! I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Ruby." Taiyang Xiao-Long smiled down at his youngest daughter. He held her at arms' length and brushed her hair out of her face with a hand. "It's just not the same at Signal without my rambunctious little rose driving her uncle crazy with pestering requests."

"Hey! I'm not little!" Ruby pouted.

"After everything possibly embarrassing he said, that's what you focused on?" Weiss asked incredulously while Blake looked between Yang and Taiyang, yellow eyes wide. The resemblance was uncanny.

Taiyang saw his older daughter drop down and beamed a grin. "Yang!"

"Hey dad," Yang said, giving him a tired wave.

Taiyang opened his arms out. "Hug?"

"Dad...shower..." Yang looked between the vacant bathroom and then her father. On one hand, she could go give her dad a hug, she _had_ missed him. But on the other hand no one was rushing to the shower, meaning if she could get in there before Weiss, she could be ready, fully wake up and then give her dad a hug. Then she'd be more alert and prepared to introduce him to her – Yang's lilac eyes went wide and she ducked into the bathroom, intent on showering fast.

Taiyang's shoulders slumped and he pouted while Weiss squawked at Yang's capitalizing action. She growled in annoyance while Blake shook her head and pulled her scroll out. A second later, the lone Faunus of the team sent a message that would go ignored for the better part of the morning, not out of cruelty, but out of mindless intent.

"That was weird." Ruby muttered as she scratched her head. She smiled as Zwei trotted over and bounded into Taiyang's embrace, the man overcoming his funk and rejoicing at the reunion with his best friend.

"Not to mention rude." Weiss huffed.

"Not really," Blake said under her breath. She showed the confused heiress the message she sent and to whom she'd sent it, resulting in the white-haired girl releasing a small snort.

"I'd have left him in the dark. Goodness knows he deserves it." Weiss muttered, her arms crossed over her chest.

"And that is why you fail at ninja-tude." Blake retorted, smirking lightly. The glare she received was well worth it.

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, again, so sorry it's been a while, but after a (FAILED) attempt to learn a new language (AGAIN) last quarter, I've finally found time to get back to writing! YAY!**

 **So all I have to say now is...**

 **GETTHATTHING!**


	32. A Father's Wrath

**Edited for small errors. Sorry for the long wait!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXII: A Father's Wrath**

* * *

"Oh, god, my head..." Sasuke let out a groan as he sat up in his bed. He pressed a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "Jeez, who made the sun so bright?"

An item was thrown expertly from the other side of the room and nailed Sasuke in the face. The headache he awoke with suddenly intensified as he was knocked from his bed to the floor. With murderous intent in his gaze, Sasuke got up off the ground and sought out both the object that caused him pain and the one who'd dared throw it. His eyes fell on one bagged-eyed Haku Yuki, who'd lacked his usual sleeping-wear and was clad in a green bathrobe. Pressed to his head was an ice pack the size of a cat or small dog.

"Sasuke. Do. Not. Yell." Haku's voice was hardly above a whisper, but the volatile tone that accompanied it reminded Sasuke that he knew very little about Haku, and hadn't really seen the boy when he was genuinely upset, nor even drunkenly upset.

Hangover upset Haku, Sasuke decided, was not someone he wanted to piss off.

"Sorry." Sasuke held a hand up and looked around his bed. He found the offending object and held it up in disbelief. "Is this-?"

"Yes."

"...God, Haku..." Sasuke failed to find words and then palmed his face. The pain intensified yet again and Sasuke snapped as consequence. "Who throws a fucking _shoe_!?"

"For the love of the Ancient's Cthulhu!" Kurama's voice roared from the bathroom. "Shut the fuck u-"

Kurama's shout was cut off by the sound of voracious vomiting. Sasuke wasn't all that affected by it. Kurama knew what his limit was when drinking before the resulting hangover would become as violent as it was now. Haku, however, turned as green as his bathrobe and rolled over on his bed, losing his stomach's content into a container of some sort.

"Man, hangovers suck." The voice of the unusually unhappy Uzumaki muttered as he rose up from his slumber. Sasuke looked over at him for a brief second, then did a quick double take.

Naruto's comforter was bundled up on the ground and in its place was a mountain of bras, varying in size, shape, make and color. Not a one of them looked like they were owned by anyone outside of the school grounds. Naruto seemed rather indifferent over the amount of brassieres that acted as his bedding, going so far as to nonchalantly pick a stray D cup that was draped over part of his face and toss it aside.

"So _that_ 's where you and Sun ran off to? You made a raid?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"...I guess so." Naruto muttered, his brow furrowed as he looked down at his collection. He blinked. "Huh, none of these are any of Team RWBY's..."

"How do you know that?" A groaning Haku asked as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Super Pervert Godfather." Sasuke and Naruto deadpanned.

"Right." Haku nodded while Naruto picked up a rather risqué black bra that had gotten stuck under his back and squinted his eyes while he examined it, mostly in part of the way the lighting stung his retinas. The blond team leader's eyes went wide and all color left his skin, leaving him pale and in shock.

"Oh crap..." Naruto whispered with growing concern. "I think these are Velvet's..."

"...Bullshit." Sasuke and Haku appeared immediately at his side.

"No, yeah, these are Velvet's, because here's Coco's. Hm, that's a bit disturbing. Meh, I'll suppress that later. Now why did I-Oh, right! I got these for Kurama!" Naruto chuckled and hopped out of his bed. He went to the bathroom and threw the door open with a loud bang. "Kurama! I knew you'd feel like shit in the morning, so here's something to make you feel better!"

A set of red eyes with slit pupils and black sclera glanced up. For a brief moment, Naruto was surprised to see his Faunus friend without his usual set of sunglasses or night mask, but shrugged it off. If he had the same after-morning reaction to the overindulgence of alcohol that Kurama did, he would probably forgo the usual concealing of his most unnerving features. The eyes of the Faunus in question glared daggers at the hyperactive blond from where Kurama rested his head on the side of the toilet.

"Naruto, I'm only going to tell you this once. Get out, shut the door, and go _die_ in a deep, deep hole."

"Sure thing, bud, but first I got this from your Velvet-cake." Naruto tossed the bra at Kurama and shut the door, completely unfazed by Kurama's surprised yelp and the sputtering that followed, before he went back to his bed and scratched his head. "Now why the hell did I take only bras...?"

"Maybe Sun would know?" Sasuke suggested while he put the ice pack he snatched from Haku against his head.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain golden tailed Faunus was trying, and failing due to his throbbing headache, to come up with a reason for his team as to why his bed was covered entirely by panties of various materials, colors and sizes. It would later be determined that, like with Naruto's collection, not one article belonged to a member of Team RWBY.

* * *

"Maybe..." Naruto agreed as he picked another bra up. He shrugged and tossed it to the other side of the room. "I'll deal with it later. All I did was steal 'em while people were sleeping, so no harm no foul. ...I think."

"Yeah, because that's not asking for karma to come into play at all." Haku muttered while he became fascinated with a green D-cup sized brassier. He furrowed his brow. "This seems famil-Oh god, Naruto, you didn't."

"Hm?" Naruto blinked while he lazily spun a pink lacy bra around on his finger by the strap.

"Remember when you were plotting a prank in Team JNPR's room?" Haku set the bra down and gave his team leader a hard stare, though the bright red blush on his face did little to make him look intimidating. He pointed at the bra he just set down. "Those were in...Pyrrha's...drawer...And those pink ones..."

Naruto tilted his head and stopped spinning the bra. His eyes went wide again before he squeezed them shut and he shuddered as he tossed the bra away.

"God, those were touching... _that_! Man, what the hell is wrong with Nora? I mean, geez, that thing was as black as the night sky and had a mind of its own!" He muttered while he dropped the bra in his grasp and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How she's not bow-legged, I don't understand..."

"Maybe she doesn't use it, er, there..." Haku suggested, his face burning bright as a line of red trailed down from his left nostril.

"...Huh, so all of us _are_ perverted," Naruto said with a sly smirk.

"Or, here's a thought, whatever you're talking about isn't Nora's." Sasuke suggested. "Maybe it's Ren's."

Both Naruto and Haku's necks nearly snapped with how fast they turned to look at Sasuke, their skin pale again.

"...What?" Sasuke asked with a blink. "You're talking about some kind of muscle relaxer, right?"

"...Sort of..." Naruto and Haku continued to stare at the onyx-eyed teen. They shared a concerned look and then had a quick partner huddle up. Sasuke arched a brow as the two whispered back and forth quickly. They occasionally looked back at Sasuke before falling back into their heated and hushed debate. Finally, after a few minutes, their huddle broke and they faced Sasuke with concerned frowns.

"Sasuke, you do know how women masturbate, right?" Naruto asked.

"...Seriously, Naruto? Yes. I know. I had to tell you when we were kids!"

"Then you know what a vibrator is, right?" Haku asked.

"A what?"

That morning quickly turned into one of the strangest conversations the boys of Team NHKS would ever have, and little did they know that the rest of the day would be just as eventful for their team leader.

* * *

"I'm so glad to hear you both have been doing well!" Taiyang smiled happily from where he sat on Blake's bed, the other four girls – all showered and ready for the day – seated across from him. He smiled gratefully at his daughters' teammates. "Thanks for keeping an eye out for my girls, I know they can be a handful. Right, Zwei?"

Zwei barked in agreement. Yang and Ruby sent the corgi betrayed frowns while Blake shook her head in bemusement and Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Like you wouldn't believe." The Schnee heiress snorted. "Ruby's... _luck_ , has gotten us into more than enough messes. And then there's Yang's-"

"Tardiness, yeah, sorry about that. I just forget to wake up sometimes, you know?" Yang's sheepish laugh seemed like it was forced, and that alone earned her more than one odd look.

Ruby furrowed her brows in thought. "But you're only tardy when you go hang out with Naru-"

"Ko, yeah. Me and _Naruko_ became quick friends, almost as fast as me and Blakey!" Yang cut in again as she slung her arm around Blake's neck. Under her breath, so low that no one else save for Zwei heard her, the blonde hissed through her teeth. "Play along and I will buy you all the tuna you want."

Blake's eyes glossed over slightly and she shook her head. No. Now was not the time to fall into Yang's pocket. Besides, she already did more than she needed to by sending a scroll message.

Not to mention Yang would probably twist the words later to insinuate tuna meaning something inappropriate. Thoughts and memories of Yang's more than annoying pranks pulled alongside her goof of a boyfriend went through Blake's head. A particular memory involving a laser pointer, a herbal substance, and a dog whistle made Blake's eye twitch.

 _You'll never get an opportunity like this,_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Weiss whispered in the back of Blake's head. _It's the biggest prank, no, the_ best _prank you could pull on Nang. They'd forgive you eventually!_

 _No! You can't Blake!_ Another voice, one that sounded fairly similar to Ruby cried out in protest. _Naruto and Yang are your friends! You don't go around and stab your friends in the back! They didn't care about your past in the White Fang, and Naruto's an honorary Ninja-bro! You can't betray your ninja-bro!_

 _Quiet, you! Blake, listen to me. If you don't say something now, you'll never get another chance. For all the Ninja-tude in the world, what's the best way to prank a ninja? Blow him up before he knows you're his target._ Inner-Weiss cackled madly.

 _Be righteous and true, and your friends will do the same for you!_ Inner-Ruby chanted.

 _You are a ninja, Blake Belladonna! Embrace the ninja-tude! Embrace the chaos!_ Inner-Weiss snapped.

 _No! Be the Black Knight!_ Inner-Ruby cried.

 _Embrace your Shadow Warrior side!_ Inner-Weiss decreed.

 _Black Knight!_

 _Shadow Warrior!_

 _Black Knight!_

 _Shadow Warrior!_

 _Black Knight!_

 _Shadow Warrior!_

 _...I think I should talk to Kurenai about these voices. And, perhaps, maybe lay off the midnight snack._ Blake thought. Though both brought up good points, and were very alarming in their sudden appearance, Blake knew she had to do something. Whatever action she took, it would determine how the rest of her week would go. A prank on Naruto and Yang of this measure risked being retaliated against, but on the other hand, if she didn't do anything, Blake would remain the silent target of her friends' unintentionally slightly mean-spirited jokes.

 _Then the only action I can take is..._

"You must have hit your head on something if you're mispronouncing your boyfriend's name like that." Blake drawled.

 _A preemptive strike!_ Inner-Weiss cheered.

 _Seriously, where did you come from? Are you a leftover from my midnight snack?_ Blake's internal question was inquired with a mastered mask of indifference on her face while she received a look of horrified betrayal from Yang and stares from the equally shocked Weiss and Ruby. Oh, she understood why Yang and Naruto pranked her like this now. The looks on their faces were absolutely hilarious.

Well, they were until Blake looked at Yang's father, who had suddenly gone rigid. His right eye gained a heavy twitch, almost violent really, and his smile became strained. Zwei, who was glued to the man's side as soon as he walked in the room, bolted from the bed into the bathroom and the door slammed shut behind him.

Blake could've sworn she heard the door lock, too.

"I'm sorry, did you just say my baby girl has a ...A b-boyfriend?" Taiyang asked. His strained smile widened even further. "B-Because if you did, then that means, those _pictures_ I dreamt about a few days ago weren't dreams. And that would mean...Some...filthy... _bastard_...was touching my sweet little sunshine..."

"She meant my girlfriend, Dad!" Yang said quickly, possibly trying to salvage the situation. A finger was pointed at her.

"Yang Xiao Long, you will sit there and be _quiet_." Taiyang muttered, his eye still twitching violently. "You and I both know damn well that if you were dating a girl, your uncle would've found out about it by now."

"How would Uncle Qrow know about it?" Ruby asked, confused. "Isn't he away on a Hunting trip?"

"Ruby, catch." Taiyang tossed an object to his youngest daughter. The girl squealed as she caught the item and discovered what it was.

"A new chamber cleaning set for Crescent Rose! I'm going to use it right now!" Ruby declared as she zipped out of the room to her locker, fully intent on doing as she claimed, leaving her teammates and sullen sister alone with her disturbingly calm father.

"So. I'll ask again." Taiyang leaned forward and gave Blake a heavy stare. "Does Yang – my sweet, innocent, hotheaded bundle of sunshine who never tries to do anything wrong – have a _boyfriend_?"

Blake felt Yang's glare boring into the side of her head. However, Taiyang's eyes were an equally frightening shade of red. And frankly, he seemed to be the type of father who didn't _mind_ going to jail. Hell, the man, if he was anything like his daughter, would probably run the joint before his sentence was even a week in action.

"Yes."

Stiffly, Taiyang rose from his seat and headed for the door. His eldest daughter was hot on his heels as soon as he started to rise. The buxom blonde protested and pleaded with her father to calm down and let her explain as he made his way out of the room. Before he left, Taiyang's suddenly cold exterior melted away to reveal the warm, sunny persona that had greeted them that morning.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, girls."

Then he left with a protesting Yang in tow. Weiss turned to Blake, wide eyed and still in shock.

"Wow. Do her jokes really annoy you that much?" Weiss asked.

"...No." Blake mumbled.

"Then why did you-?"

"I am a ninja. Fear my ninja-tude."

"...Noted."

* * *

Jaune Arc was having a pretty good morning. Coming from a farm and small town like he did, Jaune was used to drinking to relax. Or at least, had been around long enough to help his mother tend to his father and sisters' hangovers after they drank themselves sick. A quick reveal of this trick to his male teammate, who was mysteriously unaffected by drinks he had the night before, and the proper brew was made and down within the first hour of his waking.

Now, fully dressed and intent to train with their ungodly energetic teacher Guy, Jaune opened his door ready to face almost anything that would get in his way.

He was _not_ ready to walk face-first into a double-barrel shotgun.

"AHH!" Jaune yelped and jumped back, not once thinking about shutting the door on his would be attacker. The attacker was a man that was a head taller than Jaune was, with blond hair a lighter shade than Jaune's, burning red eyes, and clothing that looked frighteningly familiar.

"Are you 'Naruto Uzumaki'?" The man asked darkly, the shotgun not wavering in the slightest. Jaune shook his head, wondering what the hell his fellow team leader did _this_ time. The man growled. "Where is he?"

"D-Down the hall, third door on the right, you can't miss him!" Jaune squeaked out. The man nodded and pulled the shotgun up. He gave Jaune a gentle smile and his eyes bled back into a calm lilac shade and – Jaune then realized just _who_ it was he had encountered.

"Sorry about that. He and I need to have a little talk about boundaries." Yang's father – Yeah, genius he may not be, but Jaune could've made _that_ connection real fast with head trauma – smiled at him and shut the door.

Jaune fell back to his butt and flopped back. He put a hand over his chest and stared at the ceiling.

"Naruto...It was nice knowing you."

* * *

"Dad! Dad, stop!" Yang pulled at his jacket, but Taiyang would not be deterred.

"I just want to talk to him, Yang." Taiyang informed his precious eldest daughter. She knew that this was bound to happen, didn't she? It was every father's right to have a heart-to-heart with any would-be boyfriend, and Taiyang was fortunate enough to have a moment such as this pushed back to her seventeenth year.

"With a shotgun!?" ...Okay, that was a valid point on Yang's part, but what if the boy did something outlandish or suddenly went nuts?! Taiyang needed to defend himself if that happened! Not to mention the classic double-barrel shotgun he currently toted around was far more intimidating than any modern weapon. Decades old, Taiyang's father's elephant gun left quite the impact.

"I just want to talk to him." Taiyang reiterated. He was aware that trying to explain this to his baby would be like trying to teach a dog to speak, and they'd been working on it with Zwei, so he knew how hard that was. Yang wouldn't understand, far too 'enamored' with the misguided puppy love she felt for the deadman-er, her boyfriend.

"Dad, you...How'd you even bring that on campus with Atlas-No, never mind! Dad, listen to me, just let me explain! I was going to tell you!" Yang protested. Oh, wasn't she cute? Taiyang knew she'd have told him as soon as he was six-feet under. Maybe three feet. For some reason, he came off as overprotective. Honestly, what foolish notions.

"I just want to talk to him." Taiyang repeated himself for a third time as he came to the door the kind boy a few rooms back directed him to. He lifted a hand and knocked politely on the door, so as not to scare his prey-er, be polite.

"Dad, please! Stop!" Yang pulled on his arm, but Taiyang refused to budge. His little sunshine was strong, but he was stronger.

"I just want to shoot him."

Crap.

Well, he might as well be honest. Taiyang did want to shoot him. That didn't mean he would. Hm, maybe just to scare him once. Or twice. Or five times. Maybe until the boy looked like cheese...

"What!?" Yang's voice rose an octave.

"I just want to talk to him." Geez, what a rude boy this was, making him and Yang wait outside for so long.

"That is _not_ what you just said!" Yang shrieked. Wow, she really reminded Taiyang of her mother sometimes. And then there were times she reminded him of Summer, too. Taiyang would've drifted off into fond memories of his time with either of his daughter's mothers, but he was a man on a mission.

What was that mission?

To kill – no, maim – wait, no, destroy – no, no, murder – no, no, no, no! To _talk_ with Naruto Uzumaki.

 _...Dammit, why does that name sound familiar?_ Taiyang wondered, only to be pulled from his thoughts as the door cracked open.

"Yeah, what d'you want-? Whoa, hostile!" The male that answered the door jerked back when Taiyang leveled the shotgun at his sunglasses-covered eyes.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Taiyang asked lowly. The boy at the door, a russet-haired boy, almost a blend of dark orange and red, looked past him at Yang. He then looked back at Taiyang and held up his index finger.

"One moment, please." The door shut to a crack and a moment later, Taiyang's talented ears heard soft conversation through the opening. Then the door opened to reveal a half-dressed boy with sunny-bright blond hair, whisker marks, blue eyes and a beaming grin on his face.

"Yangel, to what do I owe this honor-Yipe!" The boy yelped when Taiyang leveled his twin barrels at his face.

"Naruto Uzumaki?"

"...Against my better judgment, I'm going to say yes."

Target acquired.

"You've been dating my baby girl?" Taiyang's eyes narrowed when the boy stiffened in fright. That was enough confirmation for him. He pulled down on the shotgun's hammers, prepared to pull the trigger next. "Got anything you want to say to me? Grovel maybe? It won't help, but it'll make me feel good."

"...In these last moments of my life, all I can say is three words." Naruto Uzumaki looked past Taiyang and gave Yang a bright grin. "Totally worth it."

"I'll carve it on your tombstone–"

"Dad, someone's trying to _flirt_ with Ruby!"

 _...This boy can live ...for now._ Taiyang's priorities shifted from protecting Yang from a bad, no-good, ill-minded _boy_ to protecting Ruby from being harmed or defiled in any way, shape or form. She was all he had left of Summer, she had to be kept innocent, to remain _his_ baby girl!

Which is entirely why Taiyang ran away screaming: "DADDY'S COMING BABY DOLL!"

* * *

"...So, that was your dad?" Naruto asked as he watched the oddly murderous man run down the hallway with his shotgun waving over his head.

"Yeah. Sorry." Yang rubbed her arm. "He's a bit...overprotective."

"It is what it is." Naruto shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "So, hey, I know this might sound weird, but...has anyone...did any of Team RWBY lose any, uh, underwear?"

"...Not that I'm aware of, why?" Yang asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no reason." Naruto stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind him. He put his hands in his pockets and looked down when he felt his scroll vibrate weakly in his hand. "Hm?" Pulling the scroll out, Naruto's shoulders slumped and he chuckled. "Man, Kurama got me good...if I'd seen this though..."

"Seen what?" Yang asked, tilting her head in an effort to sneak a peak at the scroll. Naruto turned the translucent screen her way so she could read the message. "'Yang's Dad's here. Hide. Now.'" Yang blinked a few times before her eyes blazed red and she punched her palm. "...That cheeky little – Ohh, when I get my hands on that sly cat, I'm going to pound that pussy!"

"God, you're so hot when you're furious." Naruto mumbled as he collapsed his scroll and tucked it into his back pocket while he scratched the back of his head. "So, what'd Blake do to make you so mad?"

"She told my dad about you! That...That...That little _rat_!" Yang crossed her arms and huffed. "She is so lucky I thought so quickly on my feet."

"...Bell told your dad, huh?" Naruto rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. "A fair move, my ninja-rival." He clenched his hand into a fist and shook it at the ceiling. "But this injustice, this stain on my honor will not stand! This I swear!"

"...Naruto, why are there lien cards in your boxers?" Yang asked, having taken notice of the plastic items when she ogled her boyfriend's normally concealed abs. Yeah, Sun's were good too, but he kept them out all the time, so Yang soon became too accustomed to them. Naruto's, however, were only revealed to her when they did the horizontal tango or during rare hours of the morning like this, so she ogled them whenever she could.

"...Er..." Naruto looked down and pulled the cards out, counting them and then grinning. "Heh, cool. I scored fifty-five bucks. Guess she liked the show."

" _What_?!"

"...Oh, dammit."

* * *

"Are you sure it was safe to leave him out there?" Haku asked as he, Sasuke and Kurama sorted through the bras in an effort to guess what pair belong to which girl. "You did say that the man had a shotgun."

"Eh, he's survived worse." Kurama shrugged. He held up a blue bra with pink polka dots. "...So, ten bucks its from Vacuo."

"No bet." Sasuke snorted and grabbed the bra. He tossed it to Kurama's bed, where a small pile had started to grow, as was one on Sasuke's and on Haku's. "Sandy grains on the strap. The owner is from Shade Academy."

"Fuck your eyes. Seriously." Kurama grumbled. He rubbed his head. "Man, who'd have thought a shotgun to the face would scare the hangover out of you?"

"And Haku stepped out in a mirror to snag a few pills from the Nurse's office." Sasuke added, nodding to the feminine boy.

"I didn't snag them, I asked!"

"Uh-huh..." Sasuke mumbled, a disbelieving smirk on his face as he picked up a white lace. The three boys shared a dull look. " _Atlas_."

The lacy white brassier joined all the others that were piled on Haku's bed.

"Cripes, how'd Sun and Naruto get all these?!" Kurama muttered while he dug around through the bras. "Seriously, was everyone under some sort of influence?"

"Who knows? Sun was a stowaway and Naruto stole a lot of things for us back with Team Kakashi," Sasuke said with a shrug. He opened his mouth to say something else when his team leader suddenly burst through the door and landed on his back in the middle of the room. The rest of Team NHKS quickly looked to the cause of Naruto's sudden reentry.

Yang glared around the room with bright red eyes. Then she looked at the three boys her boyfriend was teamed with. A finger pointed at them accusingly.

"Did any of you join him in entertaining a crowd last night?" Yang asked through gritted teeth. Sasuke, Kurama, and Haku shook their heads rapidly in the negative. Yang narrowed her eyes, looked to the gathered bras, then back to the boys. "Bra raid?"

"Naruto did it." They quickly and unanimously sold out their leader. Yang nodded and stormed into the room. She grabbed her groaning boyfriend's ankle and dragged him out of the room.

"As you were, boys." Yang dismissed them with a smile as she pulled Naruto along. Naruto rolled onto his stomach and clawed for escape.

"No! It wasn't my fault! I was drunk, I tell you! I was _drunk_!" He wailed and reached out to his team. "Guys, please! Save me-e-e!" Thick teary trails ran down his cheeks from either eye. "She's gonna yell at me!"

"You're goddamn right I'm going to yell at you! I mean strip dancing for me is one thing, but for a whole bar!? And then going on a drunken underwear raid _without_ me!? I thought we were a couple, we're supposed to do stuff like that together!" Yang complained as she tightened her grip on Naruto's ankle and continued her powerful stride out of the room.

"...We'll have to petition Ozpin for a fourth member." Kurama idly commented as the two blonds disappeared out the door and around the corner.

"Yeah..." Sasuke nodded.

"...Think Sakura would like to join?" Haku asked. Kurama grinned and Sasuke choked on air before he rounded on the grinning androgynous boy.

"That's _not_ funny, Haku!"

"I beg to differ."

* * *

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Yes, _Dad_." Ruby rolled her eyes for what felt like the five-hundredth time. She returned her attention to her work, scrubbing down every inch of her dismantled baby. Ruby smiled, eagerly anticipating putting all the pieces back into proper place, recalibrating the sights until they were just right, and then testing it on a willing target. Or, well, she would do all that as soon as she got rid of her father.

Don't get Ruby wrong, she loved her Dad to bits, but there were some times that he just got a bit too...clingy. Like she was a porcelain doll that would shatter if it was knocked off the shelf. Yes, she knew she looked like her Mom and acted like her and, according to her Uncle Qrow, enjoyed the same sugary snacks she did, and that sometimes it was too much for her Dad to handle, but she was a Huntress now!

...Er, well, a Huntress-in-training, but the point still stands!

"Are you absolutely-?"

" _Dad_!" Ruby groaned and set down the screw she was determined to scrub spotless with the new cleaning rag. She turned around, away from the table, and pulled out the ultimate sad puppy-dog eyes. "Please leave me alone..."

"...All right..." Taiyang relented with a sigh. He quickly wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter and planted a gentle kiss on the side of her head. The giggle that escaped Ruby's lips made him smile and back away. "I'm sorry, Ruby, but...it's been so _quiet_ since you and Yang came here, and then when I come visit I learn Yang's been wrapped around the fingers of some little punk and...Just, just don't grow up too fast, okay?"

"Well, _duh_ , Dad. I'm fifteen," Ruby said dryly. She gestured to her dismantled weapon. "Crescent Rose is way more interesting then Naruto is. ...Even if he's got awesome gauntlets he won't let me touch." Ruby's eyes watered up and she brought her hands up under her chin. "I just want to take it apart once, maybe a few times...I'll put it right back together! I swear!"

"...Ruby..." Taiyang began slowly, drawing his youngest' attention back to him. His face twisted into a look of strain and disgust as he struggled to ask his question. "What do you know about Yang's... _Boyfriend_?"

"Naruto?" Ruby blinked. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, he's strong, nice, funny, but weird...Like Yang. His teammates call her a female version of him, which is strange, because Yang's not a Female Naruto, she's Yang! Geez, sometimes people can be so dumb."

"Would you say he's a... _good_ person?" Taiyang asked and folded his arms over his chest.

"I guess so." Ruby shrugged. "I mean, he's not a bad guy. He helped Blake stop Roman the Jerkface and fought off some big muscle-y guy that knocked me out. Although..." Ruby narrowed her eyes. "He did steal my cookies...And read Weiss' diary. ...And calls Weiss 'Sneeze' instead of Schnee, which is really funny – but don't tell Weiss I said that!"

"Huntsman's honor." Taiyang swore with a small smile when Ruby glanced around worriedly.

"Good, good, because I don't want her to get mad at me. She always gets so mad whenever he calls her that." Ruby muttered. She scratched the side of her head. "Um...Let's see, he's from a village in Vacuo...and he _loves_ ramen. And he's got a really weird godfather, and his mom and dad are the Bloody Death and the Thunder God. Oh! And he got eaten by a Grimm a few times, and exploded them from the inside out!"

"...Wait, hold up, what was that last part?" Taiyang blinked. He didn't just hear what he thought he heard...did he?"

"Naruto got eaten alive by a few Grimm?" Ruby repeated.

"No, before that."

"He's from Vacuo and loves ramen?"

"Ruby..."

"Oh! You mean his mom and dad!" Ruby grinned cheekily while Taiyang stared at her. There were times that Qrow's influence was _too_ apparent on his youngest daughter. Ruby turned away with a nervous chuckle. "Um, well, he said his mom was called the Bloody Death and his dad was the Thunder God, I think. Which is _so_ cool! Hey, Dad, how come Vacuo's schools give out titles and we don't? I want to be Red Reaper! Er, wait, no, that's too dark. Um...Crescent Ros-No, wait, I can't used Crescent Rose as my title! It takes away from her awesomeness..."

Taiyang had tuned Ruby out and his gaze became distant. _Bloody_ _Death...Well, it's no wonder he seems so familiar! That's_ Kushina's _kid! ...Wow, talk about awkward revelations. Hard to believe Yang would go after Qrow's ex's kid...And Thunder God, if that's not Minato, I don't know who it could be. I wonder how they're doing? I haven't spoken to them since Raven and I got...Oh. Wow._

 _Way to stay connected to your friends, Taiyang._ Taiyang thought before he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed it. _Man, almost twenty years of no contact...How the hell do I apologize for_ that _? Hey, guys, I know it's been a while, but after Raven left me and Summer died, I totally lost track of time while trying to be a dad. Speaking of fatherhood, how's this for irony, Minato? I tried to kill your son because, get this, he's dating my eldest daughter! I know, right, what are the odds!?_

 _...Oh my god, I tried to kill Kushina's son._ Taiyang realized with growing horror. _Don't panic. Don't panic. Maybe, maybe she's mellowed out over the years. Yeah. Sure. Maybe she'll only break every bone in my body instead of ripping me to shreds..._

An image of a shadowy woman with wavy red hair, glowing white eyes, and fire-like aura chains appeared in Taiyang's mind. Tears of fear began to pour out of his eyes.

 _Who am I kidding, Kushina's going to eviscerate me, rip me into tiny pieces, feed me to Grimm and then Summer is going to kick my ass out of heaven!_ Taiyang silently wailed. He grabbed his head as his eyes went wide. "And then there's Minato..."

"Huh? What'd you say, Dad?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing, Ruby...just dreading a reunion with some old friends." Taiyang sighed as he raked his hands through his hair. He then looked up at the ceiling. "So, Yang's boyfriend is Minato and Kushina's son, huh? Has he told you about them?"

"Not a lot," Ruby said quietly. "Apparently they were really strong."

"'Were'." Taiyang snorted in amusement. "Yeah, like anything would make those two..."

Taiyang's amused smile fell as a distant memory suddenly came to mind. A morning when he was jostled awake by Qrow, who he faintly recalled being very distressed and in a hurry. It was hazy and distant – the amount of drinks he had during that time exceeded Qrow's normal intake and left their impact – but the rushed awake call suddenly flooded into clarity.

" _Tai. Tai! You listening to me, man? I can't stick around to explain, but you have to wake up, now! Something_ big _just happened in Kon, Oz can't reach them through the CCT and Minato's scroll isn't answering. I have to-God, Yang! Don't climb on that! For god's sakes, Tai, wake up, drink some coffee and watch your daughter!_ "

"...God..." Taiyang covered his eyes and let out a pained groan. That was what? Almost eighteen years ago? Taiyang took a careful seat, his legs weak from the revelation. Their teams were among the top ten to come out of Beacon Academy in his generation, but they weren't close, especially after Kushina and Qrow split up (which, now that Taiyang thought about it, was around the time that Minato and that Thetis girl went their separate ways). They were gone.

"Ruby..." Taiyang found his voice and looked at his youngest, who'd gone back to work on her prized weapon. "Do you trust him?"

"What?" Ruby asked, not looking away from the cylinder she was cleaning.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Do you trust him?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ruby asked, looking at Taiyang with a smile. "He's one of my friends...I think."

"...Don't work too hard, baby girl," Taiyang said and ruffled his daughter's hair. She swatted at his hands with a whine, causing Taiyang to chuckle. For the moment, it took his mind off of the spiraling questions.

* * *

"So, what have we learned?" Yang asked while she emptied Ember Cecilia's right belt chamber and reloaded it, before doing the same with the left.

"That you have _amazing_ aim for such a wide-spread shot." Naruto muttered from where he laid on the ground, his semblance slowly dwindling away after he let Yang vent her frustration and stress on him. He gave her a crooked grin when she sent him a small look. "Don't go drinking without your supervision."

"And?" Yang pumped her fists to load the next round into her gauntlets.

"That I'm not allowed to kiss Sun or any other guy without you present to witness such a, and I quote, 'spank-tack-ulous moment'." Naruto chuckled and winced as he got back to his feet. One of her shots nearly went up main street avenue after she learned about the highlight of his and Sun's 'show'. He wasn't exactly sure _how_ it almost happened, but he knew it did almost happen, and that was enough to make Naruto wary.

" _And_?" Yang pressed as she crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow.

"That the only brassieres or panties that I should concern myself with are the ones you might or might not be wearing," Naruto said as he cracked his neck and the last of his semblance flickered away, the glow in his eyes and hair gone from existence. He walked over to Yang and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and laying a quick peck on her lips. " _And_ that you can totally kick my ass...when I'm absolutely terrified of you."

"I'm sorry, but I can totally kick your ass _any_ time I want, Whisker Boy." Yang corrected him with a pointed tap on the nose.

Naruto made an attempt to bite the finger, and grinned when Yang quickly pulled it away. "Guess you'll have to wait until the Vytal Festival to find out, Honey Boobs."

"Psh, chicken."

"Nah. Just don't want to give Ruby, Sneeze, Bell or your Dad a legitimate reason to want to kill me," Naruto said with a chuckle. He looked around the training field with slight apprehension. "Speaking of which, he's not going to jump out of the bushes and try to shoot me or something, is he?"

"Nope." Yang grinned and rested her arms loosely around her boyfriend's neck. "Dad's gotta keep his kids in line on their trip. Apparently, his escapade earlier made his fellow chaperones a wee bit upset. The kids, well...they're rowdy."

"...Your rowdy and my rowdy are two entirely different-"

"They catcalled at Professor Goodwitch during her welcoming speech."

"...Bullshit." Naruto pulled back with wide eyes. "And they're still alive?"

"Which is why Dad's on full time chaperone duty now." Yang shrugged. "It sucks that Ruby and I can't hang out with him longer but look on the bright side, at least he won't try to kill you anymore."

"That's a victory in my books." Naruto grinned along with Yang until a gleam appeared in his eye. "So...considering we're both not exactly needed for the next few hours, and there's a perfectly good supply shed about twenty feet to our left..."

"Naruto! My father is on campus and my sister, your team, could come looking for us at any minute!" Yang gasped in mock outrage. She then grinned and leaned a little closer to her boyfriend. "Bet I can outlast you this time."

"Oh, you wanna make it interesting?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowed. "Stakes?"

"Well, _if_ you manage to tire me out first, I'll serve you Ramen each night in a maid's outfit." Yang offered. Judging by the glossy look in his eye and the dopey smile that crossed his face, that was an appropriate stake for Naruto. When he came out of la-la land, Yang continued. "But in turn, when _you_ ask for a break to regain some energy, you have to take me out to any restaurant of my choice-"

"I'd do that anyway."

"And we christen it as ours."

"...Either way it seems like I win in these scenarios." Naruto muttered.

"Well, you won't be the man when we christen it." Yang explained with a grin.

"...O...Oh...Kay...Huh...Gonna need a second to process that." Naruto blinked a few times and then shook his head as a fire appeared in his eyes. "All right. You're on, Yang."

"Yeah?" Yang leaned in. "Let's seal it with a kiss, Whisker Boy."

"Oh, I'll do more than kiss, Honey Boobs." Naruto whispered huskily before they pressed their lips together. They broke the kiss and then scurried eagerly over to the shack. Naruto shut the door behind them and locked it tight. A few hours later, they would emerge with one of the blondes smiling triumphantly, whilst the other looked disappointed with themselves, but were still utterly satisfied.

* * *

 **AN: And there's the end of the filler bits, next time, we turn away from Beacon Academy, and rejoin Jiraiya for...well...I'm sure many of you have guessed.**

 **After all...his Pein is greater than yours!**

 **REVERSEDROLESFTW!**


	33. The Crying Land

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXIII: The Crying Land**

* * *

A few days later, far from Beacon Academy and the troubles of the teenage students within, a cloaked man walked into a small tavern to escape the pouring rain. He asked for a drink and sat at a round table not set far off to the side. Soon enough, the few brave drunks that wished to be merry and share their sorrows with one another sat around the stranger.

"So, what brought you here stranger?" Asked one of the drunks.

"Well, to explain why I'm here, I'll have to tell you a brief story." He pulled a rolled parchment from his cloak and gestured at the table. "May I?"

"Sure! This ought to be good..."

A map unrolled across the small tavern's tabletop and a calloused hand set a glass down on the corner to keep it steady. A small oil lantern illuminated the map, revealing it to be scrawled on an old parchment with faded writing and glyphs. The owner of the map spoke lowly to his audience.

"Far to Vale's west, as most could tell you, is the kingdom of Vacuo. It's set within the middle of a desert-like region that was, for the most part, intolerable to Human, Faunus and even Grimm alike. Were it not for the few yet widespread oases where smaller settlements started to form near, Vacuo possibly would not have even made it to the measure of a kingdom. Perhaps, in another time, where the royals didn't immediately insult their would be subjects, and instead inspired unity to persevere, it would've made it to this status on its own. However, we know there were six known successful settlements hidden throughout the desert that the main hub owed its success to."

"The first to settle properly was the city-village of Kon, which previously had a longer name but after so many battles and Grimm attacks in its earlier years, the name had been shortened to lower the repair time on the gates that surrounded it. Kon was a lush place, set comfortably near the border of Vale's reach and acted often as a hub of travel and trade prior to the development of the air vehicles. With a mountainside devoted to protecting the city-village's 'flank', and a forest that contained a decent amount of Grimm as well as other settled carnivorous animals, Kon was arguably the village with the least volatile surroundings and was home to people who carried what was soon called a Will of Fire, a fortitude that couldn't be snuffed out no matter how many times it was put down. It was because of this common feature amongst its citizens that Kon started to be called the Domain of Defenders, the city that acted as the first and last stand during The War when Vale attempted to expand its borders."

"Some time shortly after, Vacuo's people established another city-village. Stone, they called it, at first as propaganda, rather stupid and unimaginative if you ask me." The speaker chuckled and gestured to the map. "Stone, as one could expect, was hidden deep underground, created near an underground spring somewhere in the southeast. Its best defense was the difficulty, which came from trying to get to it, and its unknown length spread across its territory. Grimm, like with any other settlement, moved in nearby. Particularly the Grimm that enjoyed dark caves and thrived underground: Graboids, Creepers and Death Stalkers were a constant threat. Stone's people were noted to often be cruel and cold towards outsiders, having so tightly knit a community that held its own laws and agreements above those of the other kingdoms. Were it not for the Vacoan royals making an agreement during the settlement's start, it could be argued that Stone might have made a move to shift the balance of power. Thankfully, that didn't happen...officially, anyway, but that was its own story."

"Now, around the same time three more city-villages began to spring up. The one that would become the primary home of Vacuo's military was set high on a mountaintop to Vacuo's North West. They called it appropriately the Hidden Cloud. As I said before, it was originally a military outpost turned base turned city-village. Its high position makes traverse to it very, _very_ difficult. And the Grimm around it didn't help with that, let me tell you. More than once Nevermores, Griffons, hell, I think there was even a Grimm Drake that sieged the village's walls. Nevertheless, the warriors of Cloud never gave an inch to these attacks and acted as the sword of Vacuo. Most who wish to be pilots dream of applying to the Cloud's Skyscraper Flight School. They have a decently sized amount of hopeful Hunters, and that number has increased in recent years since Vacuo's compliance with the order of the Council of Vytal. However, they remain loyal to Vacuo first and foremost. Though, they aren't as loyal as the...next."

"The Lost Village, the Suna." The map's owner withheld a smirk at the sound of a sharp gasp. "The vagabonds and runaways' dream home, those with nowhere to go often fled here first, to establish new lives. It was once thought that Suna was the true kingdom and the real home of Vacuo's royals, but The War revealed that it was home to the last line of defense. Hunters, soldiers even, who were born and raised in Suna are said to have incredible durability and even scare off Grimm with just their presence alone. However, with The War's completion, Suna vanished from the radar, and if not for the Five Village's Tournament, would be believed to be only a myth. Though, their fame was rivaled only by the Fifth village."

"The village of Fog, hidden along the southern shoreline, has become known as the Bloody Mist. Most of Vacuo's notable Assassins, Criminals or even Dark Hunters have claimed this land as their home. The village was surrounded by both land and sea Grimm, and even the occasional stray Graboid would pop in for a quick hello. With the dangers so high, it could be understood why Fog's founders were notoriously harsh in their basic training. Supposedly, they even submitted the students to partnering up upon enrollment, and then, on graduation, had the young partners fight to the _death_." The storyteller paused to take a sip of his drink. Speaking so long and about such a dark topic always made his tongue dry. "This practice was frowned upon by all of Vacuo, but for those who didn't break the law or go astray, it produced some of the strongest warriors, even a band of swordsmen who became feared. One of the swordsmen, however, was the cause for the practice's end when he slaughtered every single member of the graduating year. The Demon Butcher, the Devil's Son, the Fog's Vampire, these are just some of his titles, but his _name_ is Zabuza Momochi."

The storyteller paused once more to take another drink. The other patrons had gone white with terror, the rain outside danced upon the tavern's windows. The storyteller set his glass down and adjusted his cloak.

"However, his real claim to fame, what brought his disturbing graduation to light, were his actions in Vacuo's Shame during the Uprising of The Salamander. Vacuo's Shame was the _sixth_ village established by Vacuo's royal family. Initially meant to be another hub for commerce, a second shield to match Kon, it was called Vacuo's Valor. The strongest of the five villages were moved to it and many of the nobles that lived in Vacuo's main city soon followed. It was to be the equivalent of Vale's City of Vale, to be the star-studded splendor for a desolate land, the diamond in the rough as it were." The storyteller sighed. "But...that isn't the case. To make a long story short, a powerful man with dark ambitions rose to power, and it took nearly the entirety of the five villages and Vacuo's military to eventually put an end of his ambitious to conquer Vacuo. Among those forces was a young, Zabuza Momochi who made his name by executing no less than three hundred men, eighty-five women, and forty children in the streets of Vacuo's Valor."

The storyteller sighed and sat back, his hood falling to reveal a white-haired man with red tear-like lines that went down from either eye and had a horned headband around his forehead.

"Zabuza escaped trial for his actions on technicality, since at the time, the King of Vacuo had ordered the use of excessive force to put Valor's mad ruler down. Eventually, a ceasefire was reached and Vacuo's Valor was erased from all legal documents, while the city itself closed its walls forever, sentenced to die out alone and unassisted by any of Remnants forces. To this day, there always seems to be rain over the city, and it became known as The Crying Land of Vacuo's Shame."

"...That's nice and all, mister," one of the patrons began after a brief silence. "But it doesn't explain why you're _here_."

Jiraiya blinked. He grinned and crossed his arms. "No? I thought that was obvious. You see...rumor has it that Zabuza Momochi ...is _back_."

More than one of the patrons dropped their mug and the bartender dropped the glass he was in the middle of cleaning. Jiraiya laughed at their reactions and rolled up his map.

"Basically, Vacuo sent me here to flush him out and catch him," he said as he tucked the rolled up parchment into his shirt. The patrons all nearly fell over, so caught off guard by the perfect summary.

One lone drunk even shot up to his feet and slammed his hand on the table. "You jackass! You wasted all of our time by telling such a boring tale when you could've just said you were here to catch a madman!"

"...But then how would I have wooed the lovely lady seated at the end of the bar?" Jiraiya asked with a beaming grin. The patrons, mostly men of various gruff features, stiffened and followed his gaze to the cloaked figure he stared at. Upon closer inspection, the slightest of feminine curves could be made out, and even the hand that held a glass was a bit...dainty.

"...So...You've come for _Zabuza_?" The woman's voice, low and regal, asked. The patrons stiffened even more while Jiraiya grinned and sauntered over to her side.

"Yeah, he's bad news. Did I mention the part where he killed kids?" Jiraiya asked as he took a seat, his back against the bar while he looked at the cloaked woman on his side. "That leaves a bad stain on Vacuo, almost as bad as the Fourth War."

A pin could've been dropped and be heard for miles, even over the rain, it became so quiet. The other men seated in the bar slowly began to rise up, their drinks left untouched. The bartender started to pull out something from beneath the cabinet.

"Now, boys..." Jiraiya began, interrupting himself to finish his drink. He set the empty glass on the table and his eyes drifted shut, while his smile thinned. "Don't do something that you'll regret later."

"I've had enough of your tongue, old man." The bartender growled as he lifted a bat from beneath the sink. He gripped it tightly in both hands and pulled it over his shoulder. "Frankly, it's getting on my nerves."

"I'm telling you to just think about what you're doing for one-"

The bat was swung and smashed into the side of Jiraiya's face. The bartender grinned maliciously when he saw that his strike hit home, but then after a few beats began to sweat as a sheer amount of aura weighed down on him. He tried to pull his bat away, but it refused to budge. He pulled and pulled, but it went nowhere fast.

"What the hell-Gah!" Blood rushed out of the bartender's mouth, and the man looked down to see a long white spike piercing his stomach. He followed the spike back to a hole in the back of the Jiraiya's cloak. The spike was the same color as the man's hair. Before he could comment on it, the spike retracted and then softened back into a small portion of Jiraiya's long white mane.

"See," Jiraiya started with a sigh as he pushed the bat away with his hand, revealing holes that his hair had put into the weapon. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid."

"You...Bastard..." one of the patrons stuttered. He shattered his bottle on the table and rushed at Jiraiya, who'd folded his arms over his chest.

"They never learn." Jiraiya muttered as he dipped his head forward. His ponytailed hair flew out from behind him like a serpent, lengthening and sharpening to a point, before it pierced his would be attacker through the chest. The other patrons stared in horror as the drunk was flicked off the hair-spear and thrown through a window. They looked back to see Jiraiya's hair retract, and the man's eyes were hard and dangerous.

"Leave." He didn't leave room for argument. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed and he increased his aura's output tenfold. " _Now_."

The tavern was vacant within milliseconds.

"...I'm impressed you can still sit so calmly." Jiraiya commented as he glanced at the cloaked woman, who was in the midst of fiddling with a piece of paper. "Used to this sort of thing?"

"You're aged and weak, old man. You made a mistake coming here." The paper in her hand glinted and sharpened. Both Jiraiya and his cloaked female adversary moved faster than one could blink, Jiraiya catching her wrist in his hand before her paper knife could stab him in the eye, well away from his bangs. Likewise, a massive grouping of white sheets prevented Jiraiya's hair from piercing her like it had the two unfortunate souls from before.

The movement did do one thing in Jiraiya's favor; it made his adversary's hood fall.

"Well, well...Aren't you the beautiful specimen?" Jiraiya asked as a grin spread across his face. The woman had exotic blue hair that was kept short with a paper rose on the left side of her head. Hate-filled amber eyes that were highlighted by her azure eyeliner glared at him. Full lips remained pursed in annoyance, which drew attention to the lone stud piercing that penetrated her lower lip. Jiraiya soaked it all up and his eyes ventured downward for a brief moment before they rose up once again.

"What'll it take for me to get that cloak off?" he asked.

"All I want from you is your life, Toad Sage Jiraiya. It will be a great boon to have claimed the life of the leader of Mount Myōboku."

Jiraiya's carefree grin fell and his gaze once more hardened. "How do you know of my mountain?"

"You don't remember?" The woman's lips twitched upward, but quickly remained flat. "Why, you told me of it yourself...Master Jiraiya."

 _Master?_ Jiraiya thought in confusion before he was launched out of his seat by a sudden amount of pressure in his stomach. He burst through the tavern's wall into the empty streets of Vacuo's Shame. The rain pelted the muddy ground furiously, like a drum wailed on by a child. Jiraiya picked himself up off the ground and narrowed his eyes as the woman walked out through the hole he made, the paper fist that had formed at her side slowly falling apart due to the weather.

"Once, long ago, I had hoped you would return to this place and take us with you to Kon." The woman's stony face told more than her words as she held her hand out and a small knife slid from her sleeve into her grasp. The soggy paper on the ground suddenly rose up and latched onto her hand to mold around the small knife. A simple scythe made of paper sprouted from her hand and her amber eyes narrowed. "Now, I wish you hadn't returned, because it's my duty to God to put down any of His foes."

"...I'm sorry I hadn't recognized you, but I was stunned by how beautiful you became over the years." Jiraiya muttered. His gaze softened and a gentle smile crossed his lips. "I'd thought you died, otherwise I would've come to save you sooner, Konan."

"Spare me your charm, Master Jiraiya." The woman, Konan, said without any malice or anger. She spoke with sorrow that was barely noticeable and Jiraiya almost flinched at her words. "You know you should've listened to the Snake and killed us when you had the chance."

* * *

 _Thirty years ago..._

A younger Jiraiya clad in gear befitting that of a soldier knelt beside a sobbing Tsunade, who wore a similar uniform with the traditional MEDC symbol on her shoulders. She was huddled over the form of their dead teammate, and even today Jiraiya would never deny that tears of his own were burning his eyes while he held her close. The last member of Team Sarutobi, a pasty white skinned man with snake-like eyes and long black hair, wearing a lighter uniform than both of theirs, signifying a higher rank, had turned away from the body. His attention was drawn by a soft sound that came from the rubble of a building to their left.

"Jiraiya, Tsunade, get ahold of yourselves." He spoke not coldly, but calmly. At the moment, it was the same thing to Jiraiya.

"Orochimaru, even you can't be so callous towards Dan's-!"

"Shut up, idiot." Hissed their teammate, Orochimaru. He drew a sword from behind him, a long double-edged sword that had well concealed hints of an alternative ranged form. Golden, snake-like eyes narrowed at the rubble. "We're no longer alone here."

"...Not...Alone..." Tsunade mumbled as she wiped furiously at her eyes. She followed Orochimaru's pointed finger and her hazel eyes narrowed. "Would someone truly be so foolish? To remain...remain where they killed Dan?" Her hands clenched into tight fists and she rose to her feet. "Where they killed my love?!"

"Tsunade! No!" Jiraiya got up and quickly wrapped his arms tightly around her stomach, holding her in place. She screamed and struggled in his grasp. "Dammit, woman, shut up and wait!"

"No! Dan's killer could be right there! Let me go! Dammit! Damn you, Jiraiya!"

"Tsunade, if you don't shut up I will cut out your tongue!" Orochimaru snapped lowly. He held his sword up and returned his attention towards the rubble. "We are members of Konohagakurenosato's militia! We will come and kill you if you do not show yourself in three seconds! Three...Two...O-!"

"Holy shit, you're serious! Don't! Wait! I'm coming out!" A high voice exclaimed before a lone figure ran out of the building. It was short, clad in ragged and soaked clothes, with a ratty pack that was slung from its back. The figure was a boy, no older than ten. He had spiky orange hair and a round face with brown eyes that stared at them in fear, but stood with his hands up.

"...It's...just a kid." Jiraiya muttered as he let a shocked Tsunade down.

"And the others?" Orochimaru instead asked.

"W-What're you talking about?" the boy asked nervously. "Just me, see! I'm, uh, all alone!"

"...Tsunade, destroy the building." Orochimaru looked at his teammate when she hesitated. "That's an order, Tsu-!"

"No! Okay, alright! I'm...not alone..." The boy admitted. He turned back to the building. "Guys, come out!"

Two more children of the same age soon followed. A girl with short blue hair and amber eyes, and a boy with long straight red hair that hid most of his face. They came out meekly, flanking the orange haired boy on either side, but the boy continued to stand in front of them almost protectively.

"Three kids," Tsunade said softly to her teammates as she and Jiraiya came up to stand beside Orochimaru. She frowned at them and narrowed her eyes. "Did you see who did that to my- _our_ teammate?"

"No." The orange haired boy answered with a firm shake of his head. He glanced behind them and then looked down. "But...I'm sorry he died."

"..." Tsunade frowned further and crossed her arms. Jiraiya glanced at her from the corner of his eye and set a hand on her shoulder. He turned back to the kids and grinned.

"Thank you. So, where're your parents? Fighting? Hiding at a shelter?" Jiraiya asked.

"Dead." The redheaded boy muttered lowly. The orange haired boy and the blue haired girl gave him a small frown, as did both Jiraiya and Tsunade. Orochimaru stepped forward and knelt down to put a hand on the redheaded boy's shoulder.

"Would you like me to kill you and your friends?"

"Orochimaru!" "What the fuck, Ro!?" Tsunade and Jiraiya shouted at their teammate. Orochimaru looked back at them indifferently.

"I'm an orphan, a war orphan, like they are. Most barely survive warzones like this. If it weren't for Master Sarutobi, I'd likely have died. This way, they get a quick painless death." Orochimaru explained. The orange haired boy shoved the older man away and pushed the redhead and the girl behind him.

"Hell no, he doesn't want to die! None of us do, you-you snake-faced freak!" The boy glared at the man.

Orochimaru arched a brow and lifted his sword contemplatively. "Really? Are you certain? It would be painless, I promise."

"Orochimaru," Jiraiya said as he put himself between the kids and his teammate. "I know you've lived a hard life, but this...if you do this, you'll be exactly what some of the others say you are!"

"...This is mercy in a time of war. How does that make me a monster?" Orochimaru asked.

"Because The War is technically over." Jiraiya growled. He threw his arm out and pointed at the corpse of their friend. "Besides, we've seen enough death today! Don't give in to the cycle!"

"They'll starve or likely be killed, the girl taken and raised as a slave, by scavenging bandits," Orochimaru said.

"Not if they can defend themselves!"

"Which they can't."

"They will." Jiraiya growled. He clenched his fists and the gauntlets on them began to grow spikes. "I'll make sure of it."

Orochimaru stared at him for a good long time before he closed his eyes and sheathed his sword. He turned to Tsunade, who had watched the exchange worriedly, and tilted his head slightly.

"Would you like me to prepare his body for travel?" Orochimaru asked. Tsunade blinked and then looked down.

"I...I can handle it." She muttered.

"Then get started." Orochimaru ordered. Tsunade nodded and walked back towards the corpse of her teammate, leaving Jiraiya and Orochimaru with the band of three children. The snake-like man glanced back at Jiraiya, the kids, and then followed her. Over his shoulder, he gave a single parting line.

"Your softness will be the death of you, Jiraiya."

* * *

 _Present_

"I've never regretted letting you three live." Jiraiya boldly proclaimed. He lifted his hands up and balled them into tight fists. "I was even inspired to take on more students after I left you guys. Teaching became one of my favorite things to do, and I thought I was pretty good at it. Heh, goes to show how much I suck if you fell into this sort of crowd."

"God told me to accompany Him in the path of cleansing this world of war," Konan said as she readied her scythe.

"By exterminating an entire species!?" Jiraiya asked incredulously. "You do realize that at this point most of the planet's humans have some Faunus' lineage, don't you!? That recessive genes will sprout forward sooner or later?"

"I will plunge this world into Hell if that means I've helped God achieve true peace." Konan intoned, her grip on her scythe tightening. Her eyes narrowed. "I figured you'd be more understanding, since our goals are the same."

"Our goals are _not_ the same." Jiraiya growled. His padded olive gauntlets started to grow spikes along his knuckles. "And it seems it is my failure as your master to teach you the path to true peace."

"If that is what you believe, then your only failure was leaving us alive," Konan said. She launched herself forward and made a swing with her scythe. Jiraiya jumped out of the way and Konan wound up slicing through the building behind his previous position.

"That, my lovely student, is apparently something we can agree on." Jiraiya muttered as he reappeared right behind her. He prepared to throw a punch, only to quickly bring his arms up to shield his face when the paper fist that got him before sprouted from Konan's back, twice the size it was before. The surprise blow sent him back through the tavern into an old industrial building nearby.

Konan kept herself upright and turned to face the direction she knocked the man in. The disinterested, if not outright bored, look remained on her face and she began to follow Jiraiya's flight path.

"Just because we agree on that, does not mean I will make it easy for you." Konan muttered to herself.

* * *

"Wow, that was a hell of a hit." Jiraiya muttered while he brushed his thumb against his lip. No blood, yet. Jiraiya took the victory where he could and quickly surveyed his surroundings. An industrial water factory of some sort, a toxicity filter perhaps? No matter, it'll be better than fighting in useless rain and mud.

...Which was softer than the concrete beneath his sandals.

 _...I can't help but wonder if she planned for me to land here or if it was out of sheer luck._ Jiraiya thought to himself with a grimace. He jumped back at the sound of a water drop tapping on the ground. Dark eyes wandered from one shadow to the next and Jiraiya reached behind him for one of his supply pouches. _It seems that the Myōboku Guard won't be enough. I may actually have to use my weapon to deal with her. Heh, guess it's about time, hope I'm not too rusty. Hate for that sort of rumor to start spreading._

"My paper moves slower in the rain." Konan admitted as she emerged from a dark hallway. Her paper scythe was still in hand and the fist protruding from her back split into two drooping wings. She lifted from the ground with a flap of her makeshift joints and lifted her scythe. "Your advantage is lost, Master. Surrender, and I will make it quick."

"Fifty-three."

"...I beg your pardon?" Konan blinked.

Jiraiya grinned and pulled out a small cylinder. "That's fifty-three times now that I've heard those words from a beautiful woman. And look at me, nearly sixty years old and still kicking."

"Your life will end here, in Vacuo's Shame, where ironically you made sure our lives began." Konan informed him.

"Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Jiraiya tightened his grip on the cylinder in his hand and then threw his arm forward. The tip of the cylinder separated, connected by a chain to the handle, and spikes protruded from its sides. Konan used her scythe to deflect the projectile, which then retracted to a short length.

"A flail...A very versatile and hard-hitting weapon." Konan mumbled. "It suits you, Master."

"Why thank you!" Jiraiya grinned cheekily and spun his flail around him. "I'd be honored, Konan. The last time I had to bring this bad boy out, my old teammate had gone rogue!"

"Yes, Orochimaru mentioned the battle when he drew his blade on God." Konan muttered. She narrowed her eyes. "He sought out another weapon and body not soon afterwards."

"Strong enough to fight Ro to the point he had to kill another? Oh yeah, this God of yours has to die." Jiraiya smirked and caught his flail beneath his arm. "So what's say we stop gabbing and fight already?"

"My thoughts exactly." Konan lifted her scythe and added more paper to it, giving it an insane length. "This should be long enough to cut through your defense. Rumor has it, only the Scare Qrow was able to do so with a smaller blade."

"Little bird's tall tales shouldn't be the basis for your attack. Now stop talking about fighting me and fight me!" Jiraiya barked as he threw his flail at Konan again. It was knocked aside by one of the wings this time and Konan dove with the scythe drawn over her shoulder. She swung when she felt she was close enough, and narrowed her eyes when she felt her blade stopped. White hair, spiked to sharp tips, surrounded Jiraiya's body, leaving only a portion of his face free.

"You know, this is a bit unfair. I think I might need to clip your wings." Jiraiya grinned partially at Konan. His hair quickly unwound from around him and bound Konan's arms and paper wings to her torso. The scythe in her hand shattered and formed little paper birds.

"Oh my. That's a deadly swarm if I ever did see one." Jiraiya mused. He flicked his wrist and his mace whipped around him, knocking the paper creatures out of the sky. Konan stared down at her defeated birds, not in shock or horror or even awe. It was still that same frown of impassive annoyance, as if she were more upset with his ability to not die than he was impressed with his skill.

To be frank, it was quite insulting for the aged Huntsman.

"Well, since I've failed to awe you with my skill, why not tell me who your God is?" Jiraiya asked his captured student as he crossed his arms. "I know his epithets: The God of Tears, the Immortal King of Vacuo's Shame, and, the most horrendous title one could have; The Leader of the Fourth War. Forgo anymore of this foolishness, Konan, and tell your old master...Is it Yahiko or Nagato?"

"Why not just ask me...Master?" A deep voice inquired from above. Jiraiya looked away from Konan and towards the speaker, and his heart nearly stopped.

A man with long orange hair pulled into a high ponytail stood on the ledge above them. The cloak that signified his place as a member in the Fourth War was wrapped around his body. Piercings decorated his face and ears, going through his nose and lips, in horrendous fashion. It was those _eyes_ , those purple rippled eyes, which bore past Jiraiya's physical form and stared directly into the very essence of his soul that had taken Jiraiya's breath away.

"So...It's you then, Nagato?" Jiraiya asked morosely once he found his voice. He closed his eyes and thought of the redheaded boy that stood behind his friends. Soft-spoken, gentle, open hearted...Jiraiya opened his eyes and glared at the impassive face of his former student. "How did you turn into...this monster?"

"I did exactly as you told me I would, Master." Nagato held his arms out, revealing them to bear the same stub piercings that decorated his face. His fingers had purple nail polish decorating them. "You told me that my eyes were that of a God's...and I simply ascended to that level."

"It was a story! A fairy tale!" Jiraiya snapped and slashed the air with his hand. "You are no more a God than I!"

"...Perhaps you will need to be shown." Nagato narrowed his eyes and lifted one hand. "Behold...The power of God."

From the center of his palm a white mask slowly emerged from a bright light, followed by the black form of a massive Ursa Grimm. The bear-like Grimm roared as it descended to the ground. It could sense the hatred of its target and its eyes turned into the same purple ripple pattern that its summoner had.

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he quickly flicked his wrist to dispatch the Grimm with his flail. The Ursa's head was removed from its body, which then crashed to the ground ungracefully, before it began to dissolve. Jiraiya grit his teeth and glared up at his student, forced to jump away when a massive spinning shuriken was thrown at him. His hair released Konan and he landed a good distance from both of his former students.

"So what, what's your big-Oh..." Jiraiya trailed off as more Grimm began to appear when Nagato lifted his other hand. A grand force, easily enough to overpower a small settlement, of Beowolves and Ursa snarled and growled at him. Nagato hovered over them with Konan at his side.

"For the record, Master. I've stopped going by Nagato. A mortal would answer to it, but I am a God." The purple-eyed man cracked the smallest of smiles. "You may call me Pein. For that is what will save this world."

"...All right...You can summon Grimm out of thin air. That's...That's impressive." Jiraiya cracked a small cheeky grin and then lifted his thumb to his mouth. "But, I can do something better. A boon, so to speak, that my position grants me."

Nagato and Konan watched, unimpressed as Jiraiya bit down on his thumb hard enough to draw blood. Then, with his blood, he quickly drew a symbol on his palm, his eyes still on his two former students. Once the finished, he slammed his hand onto the ground, and a plume of smoke shot up around him.

"So you think you're above humanity just because you've got some special eyes, huh? Well in that case, perhaps then I'm not human any more either! Because guess what, kid? These tears of blood on my face aren't born from sorrow, they're overflowing because of Remnant's Rage! After years of my life spent in solitude travelling across the land, I've truly ascended and went from boy to Sage!" Jiraiya crowed as the cloud slowly dissipated to reveal several armored individuals, all wearing similar ninja-like attire beneath the metal plates. Around their heads were bands that bore the same mark on Jiraiya's headband. The Toad Sage grinned at his students and readied his flail under his arm. "Prepare to be overwhelmed by the forces of Remnant's Protectors! We are those that do what needs be done! The brave few who sacrifice it all, even our lives if need be, to protect our families! This is the Wandering Toad Clan of Mount Myōboku and _I_ am their handsome leader, The Toad Sage, Jiraiya!"

"..." Na- _Pein_ simply narrowed his eyes. "You've not matured in the slightest, Master."

"Good! Because a wise old fool once told me that maturity was overrated!" Jiraiya's grin widened for a brief moment before that grin slipped into a frown. "Your men have attacked my home, killed my friends and countless other innocents. You bring the threat of The War, to encourage the same suffering that you, Konan and Yahiko had lived through. Why would you wish that on anyone else?"

"...Because in order to make peace, there must first be _pain_." Pein explained simply. He held his hand out and addressed his summoned monsters. "Kill them."

"Shinobi!" One of the armored warriors cried out as he drew a katana from his back, while the rest of the forces drew similar or varied weapons. "Fight to the last breath!"

The Toad Clan rushed forward with a war cry to meet their monstrous foes. The Grimm horde snarled, slashed, yelped, roared, and howled throughout it all as their numbers dwindled, but not one member of the summoned warrior fell. Jiraiya fought amongst his troops, using simple hand-to-hand or utilizing his flail as a club to dispatch the beasts, when one of his summoned warriors stopped him from targeting a large Ursa that had managed to barge through the impressive front the Clan made.

"Lord Jiraiya," the warrior, clad in red armor bearing a shield and a large forked kanabō, addressed him. "Let us have these mindless beasts, and we will leave the cowardly _dog_ to you."

"Many thanks, Ken." Jiraiya grinned at one of his strongest and then glared up at Pein and Konan, who simply watched the fight from above. He crouched down and crossed his arms in front of his face before he launched himself into the air. He pulled his arm back and swung his flail forward, the tip of his weapon heading right for Pein's face.

"Konan-."

Whatever Pein was about to say was cut off as the woman moved in front of her God and took the blow for him, leaving Jiraiya slack-jawed. The elder man landed on the same ledge she and Pein rested on, and watched his former student crumple to the ground with blood pooling from her mouth.

"...You are no longer a man, Nagato, that much is true." Jiraiya growled. He tightened his hands into fists. "To make your friend die for you..."

"Konan's actions are of her own choice. If she wishes to take a blow for me and die for it, then I will honor her sacrifice. I will then use that pain I feel to destroy whatever caused her such harm." Pein drawled. His eyes glowed bright and he held his hands out to his side. Two white portals appeared beside him and five figures emerged from them. One in particular stepped forward, and again Jiraiya lost the words that were on the edge of his tongue.

Spiked orange hair that hadn't changed in the slightest told Jiraiya what he dreaded. Though piercings decorated his face and his eyes had the same rings in them as the other five men, it was him. It was impossibly him. Jiraiya was horrified at what had happened to the last of his Shamed Children.

"Yahiko..." He muttered sadly. He looked at each of the bodies. "Then these people are..."

"Since you'll be dead, it won't matter if I tell you. These bodies are merely conduits for my power. They are my Six Paths of Pein." Yahiko's mouth moved, and his voice emerged, but Jiraiya could tell that it was not his words. Then that meant the real Pein, the _real_ Nagato, was not among them. Yahiko stepped forward and held up his right arm, just as pierced as the first body's, and his eyes narrowed. "Now be useful for once in your life, Master, and die."

A massive wave of _something_ crashed against Jiraiya's form and he flew back. The elder Huntsman flipped mid air to land on his feet. He threw his flail forward, but it reflected off of something and was launched back at its owner. Jiraiya barely managed to sidestep out of the way, releasing his flail's handle and letting it soar through the wall behind him with a loud bang that shook the building's foundation.

Below him, his men fought and cut down the Grimm that Pein summoned. A few fell, never to rise again, but more than that survived. Jiraiya put his attention on Konan's lifeless form. She gave her life to save a monster that was her friend. Across from him, eyes narrowed, Yahiko's body outstretched both hands.

Jiraiya ducked his head and grit his teeth.

He was in for one hell of a fight.

* * *

 **AN: So it begins.  
**

 **Now, before you readers get all up in my grill over *Mr. Sark nasily voice* "RWBY can't use SUMMONING JUTSU! Jiraiya can't use that since his semblance has to do with his hair!" Yeah, yeah, yeah. I figured that too, but then I had a realization.**

 **Ozpin, at the end of Vol. 3, basically confirmed that magic does exist in some form in the RWBY-verse.**

 **So, like any secret originization, Jiraiya has some tricks up his sleeve that comes from being the leader of the Wanderers. Sage mode...and Summoning. The summoning will have a steep price to pay, since it basically defies the laws of natural order, but that'll be explained next time...or at least during Naruto's training.**

 **That said, hope you guys enjoyed it. I certainly had a lot of fun writing it - seriously, writing Jiraiya is a blast, but...Alls well that ends well.**

 **Thanks for taking a little time out of your day to read my scatter-brained bullshit!**

 **DOASICOMMANDSTARSCREAM!**


	34. End of an Era

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXIV: End of an Era  
**

* * *

"It matters not how long you run or where you go. You cannot escape me, Master." Yahiko's voice haunted Jiraiya as the older man fled through a darkened pipeline. His right hand clung to his limp left arm, which was cut deeply, and his sandals clacked loudly along the metal. He could feel Naga- _Pein_ 's eyes following him in the shadows.

 _Dammit!_ Jiraiya thought to himself with gritted teeth. He rushed around a corner and narrowed his eyes. _I really am a sappy idiot, aren't I? One 'miracle' and that's all it takes for me to lower my guard._

He recalled the events that led to his current retreat.

* * *

Not too long ago, Jiraiya faced five of Pein's Paths on the rooftops of the industrial building. Yahiko's body – Jiraiya refused to call his former student's corpse by that ridiculous name – was in the lead, his hands outstretched as his eyes narrowed. Another gale of that strange _something_ – it wasn't aura and it certainly wasn't wind – nearly knocked Jiraiya off of the roof. He _barely_ managed to avoid its impact, and spare a millisecond to glance at the remains of where he previously stood.

 _Flattened and cracked, like something heavy had just slammed into it. So...What kind of energy manages to deal out that sort of damage?_ Jiraiya asked himself as he avoided one of the other paths' hands, which were intent on grabbing hold of him. It was a tall lanky fellow – was being the operative term – whose hair had grown to match Jiraiya's in length and like its brethren, save for the one with tape on its head, it had orange hair. Though unlike the Toad Sage, the path had not bound his hair in any way.

"Trying to determine the causes of one of God's abilities is akin to asking the meaning of life, Master." The Path intoned as it looked into Jiraiya's eyes.

"The meaning of life? I already know the answer to that one." Jiraiya grinned. He caught the Path by the arms and bashed his horned headband into its face. The Path's head flew back reflexively, consequently leaving it off guard for when Jiraiya whipped around and threw the body to the other Paths. Yahiko's body merely sidestepped it, allowing it to fall and land in a broken manner on the ground.

"Do you? Then tell me, what do you believe it to be, Master?" Yahiko's body asked.

"Living life to the fullest, of course!" Jiraiya grinned widely. "Enjoying our brief time on this planet while trying to make a difference for the next generation is what Life is all about!"

"You are an insult to Huntsmen everywhere." If Pein's words hurt Jiraiya, he didn't let it show. "How you became what you are today, I will never understand."

"Right back at you, Nagato." Jiraiya muttered darkly before he grinned and performed a backflip to avoid being tackled by the somewhat Chubby Path. "Missed!"

"I won't." Yahiko intoned as he appeared in front of Jiraiya, his hand an inch away from the man's face. "Kneel before God and accept your penance."

"Not today." Jiraiya shot back as he pushed the hand out of the way and leapt up to deliver a ruthless roundhouse that knocked his former student's body back. He landed with both feet spread wide and his arms out. "Tell me, _Pein_ , have you ever killed someone face to face, or did you always use these 'paths' of yours?"

"...The last person I killed myself is the one you just kicked in the face." The bandaged path said with a raspy voice. Its arms lifted up and the hands shifted into gun barrels of a massive caliber. Before it could fire, Jiraiya appeared between its arms with his eyes now hard, with his nostrils flared.

"You turned on _Yahiko_?" Jiraiya snarled as he grabbed onto the path's shoulders. In a show of monstrous strength, he ripped the arms from their sockets and used them to knock the body away. The arms were then tossed at Yahiko's body, knocking it onto its back to the rooftop. Jiraiya rounded on the Chubby Path narrowed eyes. "You _shame_ his memory by using him as your front!"

"Master..." A gentle voice that came from behind made Jiraiya's eyes widen. He rounded to see the beefier Yahiko-lookalike walk from the hole he'd been thrown through with Konan at his side. Only Konan was unharmed, in fact, she looked as if they hadn't fought at all. Konan's gaze was filled with sorrow and remorse as she looked to Yahiko's rising body. "Yahiko ...went against _us_."

"As he should have!" Jiraiya snapped, forgetting that the student he'd just killed was now walking and seemingly back at top form. He almost paid for his absentmindedness with his left arm as a paper blade swung out at him. As it was, he leapt away to avoid the strike, only to be blindsided by the Chubby Path. Jiraiya slammed back into the rooftop hard, rising up and grabbing the deep gash that Konan's attack left in its wake. Through gritted teeth, he glowered at his impassive students' faces. "So, you can defy the course of natural order. You can revive the dead. A true God would not do such things, _Pein_."

"Pain is the salvation of us all, Master." The Tall Path's deep voice intoned as it appeared behind him. A hand landed on Jiraiya's shoulder and his eyes went wide. Though he could not see it, he could feel something being pulled from his body, not Aura, but–

Jiraiya snapped out of his daze and, with all the strength he could muster, jumped up and out of the Tall Path's grasp. Falling forward, Jiraiya mule kicked the Tall Path away before it could finish pulling out what he believed to be his soul, which was inclined to be the source of aura and life in general. The Tall Path soared away and slammed into a water tower on a nearby building. The Beefy Yahiko raced after it.

 _Likely to bring it back to full power,_ Jiraiya supposed with narrowed eyes and haggard breaths. _I need to pull myself together and then retreat. However, in order to do that, I need time, more time than Pein will give me. So...why not keep him talking?_

"These... _Paths_..." Jiraiya managed to gasp out. He cringed inwardly at how weak and _old_ he sounded, but he could feel his strength return. "They...have names?"

"In the traditional sense? No," Yahiko/Pein said. It held up six fingers – Jiraiya kept his gaze locked on the fully extended palm, aware of how the forceful attack was triggered by the extension of Yahiko's hand – and spoke stoically. "I have assigned certain labels to each Path to keep them straight, borrowed from the Story of the Sage. Samsara, the God who taught The Sage, had seven trials for him to complete: The first trial was to obtain the Blood of Deva, the God who kept mankind bound to the land, which allowed the Sage to manipulate the planet's gravity. I deemed Yahiko's body worthy of using this ability, of being my Deva Path."

"I'm sure...he's honored." Jiraiya spat while his breathing evened out. His eyes narrowed as he looked around "Then...there's five more Trials."

Jiraiya's eyes wandered along the five until they landed on the Bulky Yahiko-lookalike, who returned with the Tall Path in perfect condition. Jiraiya recalled how the Path revived Konan and he racked his brain. Finally, just as he came up with an answer – which only took him five seconds longer than usual – Yahi-Er, the Deva Path spoke up.

"Naraka, the Gatekeeper of the Underworld," Pein said. He almost sounded smug! Oh, what Jiraiya would do to that redheaded brat if he didn't need to buy time for his own escape. "The second trial required the Sage to obtain Naraka's Key, to ensure that the Sage wouldn't die before his tests were over."

"I know the story!" Jiraiya spat out. He grimaced and shifted back when his arm let out a painful throb. _What I wouldn't give to have Tsunade here right now..._ he thought. Pushing the pain he felt away, Jiraiya gave Deva Path a glower. "But...since you think I'm going to die, go ahead and tell me more."

The Deva Path arched a brow.

"And allow you more time to heal? I think not, Master." His extended hand let out a familiar pulse and Jiraiya grit his teeth. With all the Aura he could spare, Jiraiya willed his semblance alive, his hair grew into a proud mane that quickly wrapped around him and hardened itself like it was a cocoon. Jiraiya's quick action kept him from feeling his body blast through the building that he'd sent the Tall Path towards moments before.

Though, Jiraiya didn't have enough aura to cushion his fall to the ground afterwards. The Toad Sage broke through the muddy ground of the Crying Land, shattering it like it were glass, and fell into a dark tunnel filled with endless pipes and concrete. Panting heavily, he rose up and fled into the shadows, more than aware of the inevitable pursuing forces that would follow him.

* * *

 _Which brings me back here,_ Jiraiya thought as he ducked into a small corridor and pressed himself against a wall. He closed his eyes and willed his Aura to heal him faster, gritting his teeth as he felt the cells form abnormally and knit the wound closed. To take his mind from the injury, Jiraiya considered the Story of the Sage.

 _Naraka and Deva, two trials the Sage have passed. The third trial was supposed to be the defeat of the War God Asura, but that was changed when bandits ambushed the Sage,_ Jiraiya thought. He thought back to the Lanky Path and scowled. _With the Key of Naraka, not only could the Sage decide when he would die on this journey, he decided the fate of others, and pulled the souls from his would-be attackers. 'The Mortals kept at bay with this display.' Damn, so he can revive freshly dead with the Naraka Path and remove souls with, er, the Mortal Path._

The gentle clack of sandal upon metal made Jiraiya cease all thought and still his breaths. He waited patiently until the sound passed by, doing so in the form of the Bandaged Path.

 _Well, I think I know who the War God is._ Jiraiya thought dryly as his subconscious re-named the form that walked by. _So, the Asura Path can change itself into any weapon, something considered useless for the fifth trial, against the Warding God Preta. It would be enough to get close, though, so your energy wasn't sapped...Shit, that means Tubby is Preta. Which leaves the Grimm Path to, of course, the summoner._

Jiraiya would've patted himself on the back if he didn't think now wasn't an appropriate time to do so. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and forced a tired grin onto his face.

 _Six Paths of Pein, what an apt title for your little group of abominations, Nagato._ Jiraiya thought as he dabbed at his closing wound with his good hand and bloodied his fingertips. He silently crouched down and began to trace a symbol into the ground. _However, what my former student forgets is that the Story of the Sage ends with the Sage refusing Samsara's request to bequeath the abilities to him, instead using these abilities to create a mineral that would aid the Human and Faunus alike for many years to come: Dust._

The symbol painted on the ground resembled the spiral Jiraiya's current apprentice wore proudly, but had several markings that matched those found near many dust excavations in Vacuo. To any outsider, they would be random squiggles or jagged lines marked in the dirt. To a Huntsman or Huntress, it would resemble old markings often seen on ancient Grimm. To a member of the Wanderers, they meant more often than not, that it was time to leave.

Why?

 _A little infusion of Aura and..._ Jiraiya grinned and put both hands on the shapes he drew. A bright blue light shone from the ground and then expanded outward in a bright dome, illuminating the tunnels he hid within.

* * *

Ken stabbed the bottom of his kanabō staff into the last Ursa Grimm and looked over the carnage his fellows left in their wake. Bodies of the Grimm Horde lay decaying into black wisps, not one remaining after the fight, and from his count, only a half-dozen or so of the forty-something strong group had been lost. Those fallen were the newest, the rookies who'd answered their leader's call, eager to make a name for themselves.

 _They died with honor,_ Ken thought morosely. He turned to the remaining troops, prepared to order advancement on the leader of the Fourth War, when he paused. The rest of his allies felt it, too, judging by the looks of shock that crossed their faces and undoubtedly covered his own.

"We retreat!" Ken ordered immediately. He pointed at the fallen members of their Clan. "Gather the dead, we bury them at home! We retreat and recover!"

There was no argument made, no reason for it.

 _They all know...Not to get in_ their _way._ Ken thought before he carved a symbol into the ground with his kanabō staff. Smoke encased the fighters and Ken, and seconds later, they were gone. The only evidence of their presence was the marking of a spiral leaf and bloodstains.

(Line Break)

The Deva Path of Pein stalked forward through the tunnels that rested under his domain. He was followed by Konan, who now wielded a paper spear in place of the scythe, and flanked by the Grimm Path. Ringed eyes were narrowed and focused, determined to end this farce of a confrontation.

 _Master Jiraiya hasn't changed at all. His foolish notions will be the world's undoing._ Pein thought in disgust. _All that can save us now, is pain._

As the Deva Path rounded a bend, Pein was caught slightly off guard by the faint sound of arguing.

And then there was a sudden whack.

"Ow! Ma! That hurt, dammit!" The Deva Path recognized that as his outraged master. His stride quickened into a run that his path and Konan matched.

"Well it's what you get for making us worry! You foolish brat, going off to pick a fight that isn't yet time to be picked!" An elderly woman's voice shouted. Deva Path narrowed his eyes further.

 _Bringing an old woman into this fight, Master? You dare mock God?_

The three rounded another bend and were joined by the Asura, Preta and Naraka Paths at a fork.

"Now, now, Ma," the voice of an elderly man chided the woman, "Jiraiya-boy isn't at fault. After all, he was merely following up on a lead. The confrontation wasn't intentional."

"Thank you, Pa." There was another whack that echoed through the tunnels. "Ow, quit doing that!"

"Still, Shima has a point, Jiraiya-boy," the elder's voice said. "We're much too old to be in this sort of fight. Especially if what you say is true."

"Bah, it's just some upstart little boy who's unlocked his semblance." The woman, who Pein decided had to be this Shima/Ma person, scoffed at the other elder's words.

If Pein had felt that the energy worth wasting was worth it, the Deva Path would've gained a frown on his face at Shima's words. Instead, the last of the six paths, the Mortal Path, joined with the group and Pein closed in on the voices. The Paths and Konan slowed to a stop around what Pein knew to be a dead end, but seeing that it was pitch black, he deemed it unnecessary to waste time pursing further.

"Hey, it's a pretty powerful semblance, Ma!" Jiraiya returned indignantly.

"Yes, yes, I gathered as much since you had to bring us out."

"Oh, managed to pick up on something without being told for once?"

"You be quiet you good fer nothin' ol' drunk!"

"What was that you measly hag!?"

"You heard me, you old fart!"

"Ma, Pa, I think now isn't the time," Jiraiya said as he emerged from the shadows. The Paths of Pein's eyes narrowed as one while Konan's widened slightly in alarm.

Jiraiya's nose had widened and become heavily covered in warts. His eyes shrank slightly, becoming two little peas that were yellow and toad-like. The 'tears of blood' that ran down his face had surrounded his eyes in thick red circles and gained an extra set of lines that crossed over the original lines. His shoulders were broader, his hair was thicker, and he even looked taller.

The most surprising of this vast bodily shift were the two extra heads and necks that protruded from both of his trapezius muscles. On the left was the head of old men, who had gained markings like Jiraiya's, but were dark green. His thick eyebrows were white as was the hair atop his head. On the right was an older woman, with the markings in dark purple, and her faded hair turned a similar shade as Jiraiya's.

They all had the same toad-like yellow eyes that flashed for a brief moment as they faced Pein.

"Well, well, is this him, then?" Shima asked, turning slightly to give Jiraiya a questioning look. Jiraiya nodded and he brought his left hand up, displaying the dried blood and the absence of the wound on the arm, to crack his right knuckles. Shima turned back to the Paths and Konan and frowned. "What a disgusting act, using the dead."

"Oh, you feel that too, eh?" The old man, Pa, asked with a glare locked on the Paths. "Abominations, all of them defy the Natural Order. I know one was once your student, Jiraiya, but they must be destroyed."

"Oh, I know, Pa." Jiraiya agreed as he cracked his left knuckles and narrowed his eyes. "Just keep me at my A-Game and this should be over quickly."

"Humph, maybe then we'll get to see little Naruto again. It's been so long since he's been invited to the Mountain." Shima said with a pointed look from the corner of her eye. Jiraiya glanced at her and smirked.

"Kid's been busy. He's not like Minato and I, having been offered after we were official Huntsmen, and needs time to think it over," he said.

"Move!" Pa barked and Jiraiya obeyed, jumping back into the darkness as a massive blade flew from behind the Asura Path and stabbed the ground where Jiraiya once stood.

"So, this is your true power, Master? The power of the Toad Sage?" Pein asked, using the Deva Path as his speaker. Jiraiya cracked a grin.

"Kid, you ain't seen nothin' yet." Jiraiya clapped his hands together and Pein's narrowed eyes were drawn to them. Pein saw energy build up within Jiraiya's grasp, but he couldn't determine what the purpose was. To add to the mild confusion was Jiraiya's next request. "Ma, Pa, if you'd please play my favorite tune?"

The two elderly heads reared back and their nostrils expanded as they sucked in air. Pein watched impassively as the Preta Path moved to stand in front of the group. The two elders flicked their heads forward and opened their mouths, and from their throats came a powerful wave of pure sound.

The Paths' eyes widened as they were caught off guard by the attack and were sent flying off of their feet into the ceiling. The Asura Path was quick enough to grab onto Konan and wrap around her as its back hardened into steel. The concussive force of the attack made the Paths burst from the ground like a geyser, all save for the Path that started the fight, who was pinned to the ground by a thrown knife.

"Pein, I have a bone to pick with your Grimm Path." Jiraiya growled as he threw his clapped hands out and shards of Dust of varying types flew forward. The Grimm Path shielded its face as the crystalized, weaponized, elements impacted with its body. Water doused the Path's body and wind ripped away the cloak over the Path's form. Then lightning charred most of the Grimm's exposed skin and frost chipped away what remained.

"He should dress in layers. It's dangerous to wear so little in this kind of weather." Jiraiya grinned as the remains of the corpse fell forward, the rain from above pouring down onto its body. The grin left his face as a massive white mouth emerged from beneath its body. A gruesomely grinning head followed, swallowing the body whole only to then spew the corpse back out like it was a loogie. The head sank back into the ground as if it'd never popped up in the first place.

"I've seen a lot of things in my life, but nothing will ever match up to how disturbing that was," Jiraiya said. Fukasaku and Shima nodded, both just as disgusted and shocked as the Toad Sage was.

"Naraka's Key." The three heads looked up to see the Paths of Pein standing around the hole they'd been sent through. The Naraka Path jumped up to stand beside the Deva Path, who stared with narrowed eyes at the three-headed form of his master. "You know, Master, I didn't think it was possible."

"What?" Jiraiya asked curiously. With a face that was deader than dead itself, Pein managed to catch the three completely off guard.

"I didn't think you could become uglier."

"...Oh, ho, ho! He got you good there, Jiraiya-boy." Fukasaku chuckled and Shima cackled. Jiraiya's teeth ground together until finally he grabbed his head and released a scream of outrage.

"This is why I absolutely despise using Sage Mode in its entirety!" Jiraiya cried out in anguish. "I scare away all the cuties whenever I use this!"

"Not to mention you still need our compliance to help you sustain it for long." Shima added softly, which only sent Fukasaku into a fresh bout of laughter and made Jiraiya crumple to the ground in shame.

"Let's try and not tell my former pupil-turned-enemy that tidbit, shall we!?" Jiraiya hissed as he shot back to his feet. Shima gave her best shoulder less shrug.

"It's not my fault that it's true."

"Oh, ho. Ho. Hoo, boy, I needed that," Fukasaku said once he'd calmed down. He looked up at the awaiting forms of Pein and hummed in thought. "Odd that he's giving us time to do such banter. In fact, only person I could remember who did that willingly was Kushina."

"Indeed." Jiraiya cracked a smile. "She never did manage to beat me in a straight up fight, either."

"Beat you enough times after you peeked on her. And then there was that time Minato used that egg beater-"

"Okay! Let's focus on the problem at hand, shall we!?" Jiraiya cut Fukasaku off quickly while he clenched his hands into tight fists. "Ma, give us some cover so we can get out of the hole."

"Fine." Shima huffed and closed her mouth. Her eyes followed suit and a small glow started to form in her cheeks. Shima snapped her eyes opened just as her cheeks bulged outward. A fine stream of some sort of smog escaped her mouth and the Paths had to back away so that their vision wouldn't be impaired. The opening allowed Jiraiya to jump out of the hole and land behind the bodies in use of his former student atop a small building.

"Not bad so far, Pein, but let's see how you handle this." Jiraiya muttered to himself as he brought his hands together again. The Toad Sage pulled on the small hold he had over Remnant's energy and gathered it between his hands. He focused on the energy, picked apart aspects of it that he discarded and released back into the world. What he was left with, he converted into crystalized form. Imbued with his desire to cleanse the world of the abominations that were Pein's Paths, Jiraiya parted his hands to reveal two small Fire Dust crystals in his palms.

"While I am impressed that you can craft Dust from nothing, I must remind you Master, that you face a God. Your defeat is imminent," Pein said through Deva's mouth as it stared at Jiraiya impassively. The Toad Sage merely cracked a small grin.

"Yeah, maybe it is. Maybe today is the day I die, maybe today is the day you die, maybe today is the day both of us die, but in any case, it doesn't matter to me what you say the outcome of this fight will be," Jiraiya said, his grin still in place. He clenched his hands into fists, and the crystals in his palms exploded, covering his fists in fire. As he leapt at his deceased student's form with a fist cocked back, Jiraiya proclaimed, "Because I'm going to give it my all, so get ready to feel _my_ pain in wrath's form!"

Milliseconds before his fist could connect with the Deva Path's face, the Preta Path appeared between the two with an arm brought up. Jiraiya's fist met the cloth and stopped. There was a loud snap as a bone broke, but the real twist was when the fire around Jiraiya's fists dwindled away and reappeared around the fists of the Preta Path.

"It absorbed the Dust!" Fukasaku cried out in shock. Jiraiya's eyes merely narrowed in thought and he quickly kicked away before the Preta Path could grab hold of him. He landed in the mud on his feet and slid back, dropping to a knee to stop his momentum.

 _So, the Preta Path does absorb energy and it has to use it immediately. Otherwise there's a chance for overconsumption. Damn, hate to think what would happen if it got ahold of my Sage Aura._ Jiraiya mused. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Shima's cry.

"Stop staring and move, you fool!"

Jiraiya leapt up to avoid the massive shuriken that passed by where his hips previously were. He landed atop the short roof once more and sent a wary look in the Grimm Path's direction.

"It can summon more than just Grimm," he said aloud as he recalled the Path bringing the other five forms forward. Jiraiya grimaced. _Dammit, this is turning out to appear worse and worse with each passing minute._

"Eh? It can summon _Grimm_?" Shima asked. Jiraiya nodded.

"Yes. The Paths, as Pein calls them, are based off of the Trials of Samsara," he said. This time Fukasaku gave him a look.

"As in the Story of the Sage?" Fukasaku asked, a look of severe unease on his face. Again, Jiraiya nodded. Fukasaku turned to level the Paths with a wary grimace. "That is important information, Jiraiya. If what you say is true, then we must ensure it gets back to our allies."

"Yes. Yes we do." Jiraiya agreed. He narrowed his eyes and crouched down. "So to do that, I'm going to have to show him exactly _why_ I'm called the _Toad_ Sage."

"Jiraiya, you aren't skilled enough to withstand that," Fukasaku said firmly. "Our Sage Merge can only last so long and if you remain in _that_ -!"

"I know, Pa." Jiraiya interrupted as he kicked his geta sandals off of his feet and let them descend to the ground. The Paths watched him curiously as he crouched down. "But I am The Gallant Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Myōboku, and it is my duty to my clan, to my home, to my _planet_ to put a stop to this enemy of Nature."

Jiraiya put either hand on the ground in front of him while he rested on the balls of his feet. His teeth gritted and his enlarged nose flared. His 'tears of blood' spread further and his eyes shrank, until a good portion of his face was covered by the red markings and his eyes were no bigger than a marble. His hands and feet grew larger and more toad-like. The guards wrapped around his wrists and arms snapped off as warts sprouted along his skin.

"Remnant's Rage flows through me, the Sage of Myōboku, as I stare upon those _things_! The world cries out in horror, in anger, in _fury_ the longer that I allow your tainted ways to spread across the land!" Jiraiya's voice deepened and he crouched further than humanly possible. Shima and Fukasaku's heads retracted to rest beside Jiraiya's head and Jiraiya's teeth sharpened. Jiraiya's hair grew longer and a short beard sprouted along his jaw. "Beware, _abomination_ , my wrath is just! My mind is clear! With this I proclaim your end as near!"

"...Always one for theatrics, Master. Very well, I will indulge you." The Deva Path stepped forward and held his arms out. "Leap into God's arms, Master. You are strong, forgo this foolish fight and join me. I will abolish you of your sins and together we will save this world."

"Mock me if you must, _Pein_ , but know that I will weep for your death only once I've finished cleansing this land of your poison!" Jiraiya sneered before he lunged forward. "Here I come, Nagato! Give it your all!"

"Very well, Master." The Deva Path remained in place while the Asura Path leapt forward and its arms shifted into two gruesomely large blades.

 _Now, let's see how you fair against Minato's signature technique!_ The sage thought. In Jiraiya's left hand, a massive sphere of Aura formed. It easily matched the size of a small car and swirled violently enough to make noise that would make Faunus cringe. The Asura Path's blades met Jiraiya's Aura attack and, while rearing back only slightly, Jiraiya grit his teeth while he forced more Aura into his attack.

"Oh no you don't..." He growled at the grinning Asura Path. "You're not getting out of this _that_ easily! You will fall at my _Rasengan_!"

With the announcement of the attack's name cried out, Jiraiya thrust his left arm forward. The Asura Path's blades cracked before they were ground away into nothing. A fate that soon befell the rest of the now wide-eyed Asura Path. Jiraiya cracked a small smirk and the elders gained grins of vicious glee. The Rasengan powered on strong as Jiraiya approached the Deva Path.

"You overestimate yourself, Master Jiraiya," Konan said from Jiraiya's left, intruding on the high of their effortless defeat of the Asura Path. Jiraiya almost managed to avoid the swipe that robbed him of his entire arm. With a snarl and grimace, Jiraiya corrected his descent midair and landed with a ground-shaking boom.

"Jiraiya-boy, your arm!" Shima exclaimed. From the bottom of the shoulder joint down was nothing more than a bloody mess, the seemingly clean cut was actually minutely jagged. Frankly, it hurt a lot, but Jiraiya wasn't done yet, so he wouldn't dwell on it.

"No time to worry about it, Ma!" Jiraiya snapped as his right arm grabbed onto the bloody stump that remained of his left. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the approaching Paths. "Frog Song! Now!"

"But-!"

"Do it, Shima!" Fukasaku barked. The two turned their attention forward and took deep breaths before their mouths opened again. Instead of launching the approaching threat away, however, all life caught in the sonic attack stopped, paused and suspended where they were.

 _The Frog Song, the Toad Elders' duet, The Wandering Lovers' Bellows, it has many names, but one use. That use is paralyzing the bodies and minds of anything within fifty miles giving me time to set up this._ Jiraiya thought as he scribbled hastily onto the ground with his bloodied hand. Each of his elongated fingers drew a separate shape before another spiral leaf was finally carved into the ground around them. _Now! The Hidden Art of the Toad Clan's deadliest technique!_

"Reflect on your actions within the Stomach of the Ancient!" Jiraiya cried out as he slammed his hand onto the shape's center. The ground shook and the elders stopped singing, panting heavily from exhaustion. The Paths of Pein and Konan that were suspended in the air dropped to the ground, landing on their feet at the last second. Before any of the Paths could speak for Pein, the ground shifted and shuddered.

"What-?" The question the Deva Path began to ask was interrupted by the sudden emergence of a massive hole, a pit, beneath the Paths' feet. Toad tongues shot out of the pits and wound tightly around the Paths. Konan grew alarmed and ran for the Deva Path, but Jiraiya appeared in front of her within a blink of the eye and delivered a ruthless high roundhouse that more likely than not broke her nose, if not fractured her skull.

The blow sent Konan flying away from the battlefield, bursting through the walls of several houses. Really, if a broken nose and some missing teeth was all she got out of this, she'd be lucky.

"Stay out of this, Konan," Jiraiya said lowly as he turned and faced the Paths that were slowly being dragged into the pits beneath them. "I've killed you once already, don't think I won't do it again."

"Three...Four...Five. Five? Jiraiya-boy, there were only five!" Fukasaku informed the younger old man just as the last Path disappeared into a pit, which soon closed as did the others.

"What?! Are you serious?!" The Toad Sage cried out in alarm while he looked around warily. "Dammit! I was hoping to get them all in one go! Did you see which one was missing?"

"The big burly one with the three spikes in each ear."

"Three spikes in...Oh no." Jiraiya's heart sank at these words. With horror etched in his features, Jiraiya slowly turned when he heard the sound of what could only be called a reverse slurp. Three sets of yellow eyes fell upon the rejuvenated and revived Paths of Pein, all lacking any serious injury.

"That's...That's impossible!" Shima murmured worriedly. "The Stomach of the Ancient, it's like a digestive tract of a toad, slow and painful, slowly killing those who are within over a thousand years. No one can escape it!"

"I thought so as well, Shima," Fukasaku said gravely. "It seems we've met one who can...with the Samsara Eye, no less. The Eye of God..."

"...Feh." Jiraiya spat to the side and glared at the six paths. "They're just some fancy Semblance. Ma, you should head on home and prepare dinner."

"W-What?" Shima looked at Jiraiya in alarm as his features slowly reverted to normal. "Jiraiya, what are you-!"

"I agree with Jiraiya-boy, Shima." Fukasaku glanced around Jiraiya's stern face and smiled at his wife. "Go off and prepare dinner dear, we'll be along shortly."

"Fukasaku, what are you saying!? Jiraiya, be sensi-!" Shima cut herself off when she saw the gleam in Jiraiya's eyes. Swallowing heavily, Shima turned back to glare at the Six Paths. "...I suppose you're right. I'll make stir fry tonight, we'll have a big feast and properly welcome little Naruto into the Clan."

"Heh, sure thing, Ma." Jiraiya grinned gently at her. "And afterwards I'll give him the notes I have for the next book."

"You'll do no such thing, it was bad enough you roped Minato-boy into your shenanigans when you were younger!" Shima huffed. She tilted her head down and scowled. "You just finish up here and get back to the Mountain. You hear me, Jiraiya-boy?"

"You got it, Ma." Jiraiya nodded. Shima's lip warbled for a brief moment and her eyes squeezed shut before she vanished in the massive plume of smoke that encased Jiraiya's form. Once the smoke cleared, Jiraiya's features had reverted back to normal, but Fukasaku's head remained protruding from his back and his left arm was still missing. The Toad Sage kept a firm stare locked on the six paths as he balled his right hand into a fist.

"Pa...I ever tell you how much I hate lying to women?"

"No, and now isn't the time fer that sort of thing."

"Right." Jiraiya lifted his fist up. "Let's finish this-"

"I couldn't agree more, Master." The Deva Path appeared in front of them as though it materialized from thin air. A twitch of its hand and Jiraiya was sent flying back, breaking through the wall of the industrial water facility and landing hard on the bottom floor.

"...Ugh. Think he broke something that time?" Jiraiya grimaced as he held his side and slowly got back to his feet. The ground around him had broken away, revealing a deep watery underbelly hidden beneath the facility.

"Speak fer yourself, Jiraiya," Fukasaku said with a grimace of his own.

"I was."

"Feh, still the smart-assed punk?"

"Well, you know, Master Sarutobi had a big influence on me," Jiraiya said with a smirk. His smirk fell away as the smoke of his impact cleared. Both Jiraiya and Fukasaku started. Shock, surprise, horror, annoyance, fear, and even the slightest hint of acceptance flashed through their eyes as they stared at the Six Paths that surrounded them.

"Did you really think I would move so slowly? That I would willingly let you plan?" Pein asked through the six bodies. Obsidian staves slid down from the Paths' cloaks' sleeves into their hands and they narrowed their eyes. "You've lost today, Master Jiraiya, I've outclassed you long before we even crossed paths today. This world will be saved, all will feel pain. Surrender, and it will be quick, out of gratitude for your part in my life."

Jiraiya turned to Fukasaku and their eyes locked. A firm nod was shared between the two before the Toad Sage rose to his feet. A short knife was pulled out of his pouch and held defensively.

"Not until the last breath leaves my body will I surrender."

Pein, the Deva Path at least, closed his eyes.

"As you wish."

The Paths moved. Jiraiya threw his blade. Blood was spilt. A body fell.

The knife Jiraiya threw exploded.

 _Heh...bet you didn't see that coming, eh, Nagato?_ Jiraiya thought as he fell to his stomach, five staves piercing through his stomach to come out of his back and sides while the sixth was dropped when the explosion destroyed the Preta Path, leaving a larger smoke cloud around him. The Paths retreated, watching the cloud of smoke diligently, while Fukasaku emerged from the ground he had merged with a millisecond before Jiraiya took the staves to his gut. The old man had his arm cradling his ribs, a grimace on his face, and fire in his eyes.

"Pa..." Jiraiya choked on the blood that rose out of his mouth. He fumbled around in his left side's pouch with his right hand before he pulled out a Fire Dust crystal. "Mess...Message."

"Right, make it quick." Fukasaku nodded and pulled up his shirt, revealing his back to the bleeding Toad Sage. Jiraiya crushed the crystal in his hand and used his dwindling Aura to contain the fire above his finger. Through bleary eyes, he burned several numbers into the elder's back, Fukasaku holding his tongue over the pain.

The smoke cleared by the time the last number finished.

"...A message...in code..." The Deva Path narrowed its eyes. The Asura Path lifted its arm and shifted it into a cannon form. A massive round, easily the size of a fist, was fired at Fukasaku's head. The elder of Mt. Myōboku turned and gave a nasty glare to the Paths of Pein before he vanished in a plume of smoke. The Asura Path's round splashed into the water beside Jiraiya, whose eyes slowly dulled.

 _So...This is it, huh? This is death? The last...great adventure..._ Jiraiya thought as the world darkened around him. _I guess...I guess it's not so bad. I lived a long fulfilling life...Managed to snag the dream girl..._

Tsunade walked down the aisle, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, both approaching him. The image shifted to an angry Tsunade storming out of the house.

 _Though...that didn't last long. We had some good years I hope._ Jiraiya mused. If he'd been able to, he'd smile at his next thought. _Had at least one good student..._

A grinning Minato looked up at him happily as he managed to iron out the details of his 'perfect' weapon. The young boy suddenly became a man, with a wife laid beside him, both bloodied and dead while protecting a crying babe. The baby then grew into a loudmouthed brat that sneered or scowled at him whenever he brought up the prospect of doing something 'fun' instead of boring old training. Then that brat became a bigger brat, who was a bit more tolerable, a bit stronger, and covered in the guts of a Graboid.

 _Wait...Make that two students._ Jiraiya thought fondly.

" _You'd better believe it! Naruto Uzumaki is the best damn prankster in all of Vacuo and if you do me wrong, I'll find you and embarrass the flying fuck out of you!"_

 _Best in Vacuo, huh? Might want to set your goal a little higher..._ Jiraiya thought. Three years spent on the road, exchanging barbs and insults in playful manner. Attending small festivals around the world, training in extreme climates, facing off against various Grimm, these were just some of the moments Jiraiya recalled.

 _Naruto,_ Jiraiya thought as a smile naturally spread across his face. _I leave this world...in your faithful hands..._

* * *

Miles away, within the grounds of a school called Beacon, a whiskered blond suddenly stopped walking. He turned and looked around in confusion. For a moment, it felt as though someone had just grabbed his shoulder.

"What's the hold up, Dead Last?" The dark haired companion of the blond asked. "We're going to be late to class again if you keep zoning out."

"I could've just sworn...Nah, even the Toad wouldn't try a prank _that_ lame." The boy snorted and interlaced his hands behind his head. He continued his stride, putting on a cheeky grin while he ignored the strange churning in his gut. "Alright, alright, let's go so you can watch your fetish fuel help Oobleck today."

"For the last goddamn time, I don't have a Fetish!"

"Sure you don't."

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, yeah, I know. Jiraiya's death was lamer than it was in** _ **Naruto**_ **...but...I like it. And if not, I'll rewrite it and let you guys know with the next update.**

 **Speaking of...Next time, on Veritas Aequitas, the fun ends.**

 **Time to get serious. ...sort of.**

 **HASHTAGRIPJIRAIYA!**


	35. Loss

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXV: Loss**

* * *

"Told you we'd make it here on time. Don't you feel silly, Sasuke?" Naruto asked his teammate as they took their standard seats for Oobleck's class.

"...Goodwitch is giving us the evil eye." Sasuke muttered, his head slightly ducked as the guest instructor sent them dark looks for being a minute or so late.

"I think it's mostly for me, so don't worry." Naruto grinned at his friend. "Your fetish fuel won't punish you. Much."

Sasuke replied with a quick and hard jab of his elbow into the snickering blond's side. He then opened his scroll and began to copy down the notes that Oobleck left on the board.

Naruto meanwhile rested his head on his crossed arms. His brows furrowed in thought over the strange chill that struck him on their way to class.

 _Hope it wasn't a g-ghost..._ Naruto thought with a small shudder. His unease made Sasuke give him an odd look, but otherwise went unnoticed. Giving his brother from another mother a reassuring grin, Naruto pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Now, I'm sure all of you are wondering just why Professor Goodwitch has decided to accompany us today," Oobleck said. He sipped whatever liquid gave him his energy from his cup, either unaware of or pointedly ignoring his assisting teacher's look of mild annoyance at his exaggerated method of drinking, before he continued. "Well, with all of our defenses back up courtesy of our ...guests from Atlas-"

"Oobleck..." Goodwitch gave him a pointed look.

Her tone caused Naruto and Sasuke to share a look with each other. Obviously Oobleck didn't care for the intrusion of another kingdom's forces 'protecting' Vale. They looked down to see Kurama sitting a bit taller in his seat. He undoubtedly picked up on it as well.

"Yes, yes, yes." Oobleck waved Goodwitch off and adjusted his glasses. "As I was saying, since our defenses are back to full strength and you've all had quite the break between classes, I invited Professor Goodwitch to help - how should I put this? Ah, I know. To help ensure that old habits – sleeping in class, skipping frivolously, or even dare I say it causing intrusions – would be kept in check. Professor Ozpin believed it would be a lot of work for just one professor to keep you 'rowdy ruffians' from trying to eat the allotted time with questions that detract from class."

 _...So, they're basically trying to keep all of us in the dark about the search for Roman Torchwick._ Naruto, Sasuke and Kurama thought dryly. Not two months have passed since his escape from custody and still no leads – according to Kurama's inside source with the Vale Police Department – have turned up.

 _Though, we've been preoccupied with shenanigans outside of our control,_ Naruto thought with a small grin. _Drinking on the Toad's money for once and eluding Yang's Dad for the past few days has made it a bit difficult for me to get the skivvy on those details._

"So, that said, let's all keep our focus on the subject today, which was what, Ms. Nikos?" Oobleck asked while he looked at the Invincible Girl.

"Expansion of Mistral, Professor."

"Doctor. Now, how many of you know-?" Oobleck cut himself off mid-sentence when the door at the top of the stairs was knocked on. A second later and Professor Ozpin entered. "Ah, Professor Ozpin, what can I do for you?"

"Sorry to intrude, Oobleck, but I need Mr. Uzumaki to please come with me," The unnaturally stony Ozpin said from the door. The class turned to look at Naruto almost expectantly. The blond in question blinked while he looked around owlishly.

"...Oh, come on, I've got other things on my mind aside from pranks!" Naruto said with a frown.

The class continued to stare at him.

"...Et tu, Sasuke?" Naruto asked the boy seated on his side. Sasuke shrugged.

"Safe assumption."

"Ah, but you know what they say about assuming! It makes an ass out of 'u' and 'me'." Naruto shot back with a grin. Sasuke cracked a small smirk and rolled his eyes.

"Oi, _dumbass_. Quit yer dawdling an' let's go."

Naruto's smile fell at the familiar voice and he turned to see Roshi standing behind Ozpin. The severe stare sent his way made his blood boil and he pushed back the smarmy retort he wanted so badly to whip out and slap the old fart with.

Naruto could feel Goodwitch's glare piercing the back of his skull, as though daring him to say something.

Needless to say, Naruto was more than willing to obey the headmaster's request, if only to escape Goodwitch's 'gaze of doom'. He rose up from his seat and made his way out the room with puzzlement on his features.

A moment of silence passed, broken only by soft whispers. Sasuke shared quizzical stares with Jaune and Pyrrha, Kurama and Velvet spoke in hushed tones, and Blake and Weiss were debating over whether Naruto had done something again.

Oobleck clapped his hands together. "Yes, yes, it's all very thrilling to see our first-year clown get pulled out of class by the Headmaster, but our attention is on a past that is more than three minutes ago. So, if you'll turn your attention to the entry in your-"

" _I said cut it out!"_

The muffled shout made necks snap as the students whipped around to look at the door behind them. Through the windowpane, a glowing light could be seen.

Other students turned to the door at the back of the classroom as the shouting continued for a good five minutes until it became faint and hard to make out. Then a loud bang rocked the school, and silence ensued.

Until Goodwitch smacked her crop against Oobleck's desk, making many in the room, especially the Faunus with heightened senses, jump. Pleased that she'd quelled any hushed conversations before they could even begin and had brought attention back to a thankful Oobleck, Professor Goodwitch stepped out to see if anyone had been hurt.

 _The last time an Uzumaki had an emotional episode on campus..._ Glynda shivered and rubbed a small, concealed white scar on her arm. _Thankfully, he lacks his mother's chains._

* * *

Unfocused blue eyes stared straight ahead and a normally sunny smile had slipped off of an ambling teen's face. The visiting students stepped out of his way as he shuffled across campus, his hands dug deep into his pockets and his head hung. His mind kept replaying the scene that occurred not fifteen minutes ago.

* * *

"Mr. Uzumaki, I'm sorry to be the one that has to tell you this." Ozpin softly spoke as he stood opposite of Naruto. His eyes were weighted and weary as they looked over the teen before him.

"Tell me what?" Naruto asked. Roshi stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen kid, I know we didn't get off on the right foot-"

"That's an understatement." Naruto snorted. Sun's grandfather kicked his ass in less than a second and somehow always knew how to really piss him off. _Must be an old guy thing. The Toad's good at it, too._

" _But_ I am – _was_ a good friend of your godfather's." Roshi finished softly, ignoring Naruto's interjection. The way he corrected himself made Naruto look at him in confusion.

"Roshi, perhaps-?" Ozpin was silenced by a look the man gave him.

"The best way ta do it is ta just rip the bandage off in one go," Roshi said firmly. He looked back at Naruto and his hard gaze softened. "Naruto...Jiraiya is gone."

"No, duh...He went back to Vacuo to get his next book published, and probably to goof off and peep around." Naruto snorted and looked at the headmaster. "Prof. O, what's going on?"

"This isn't easy, Mr. Uzumaki, please bear with us." Ozpin said softly, an apologetic look on his face. "Mr. Uzumaki, your godfather...Whatever he told you he was doing in Vacuo wasn't the case-"

"Maybe the peeping part," Roshi said with a hint of a smile cracking through his stern features.

"Lord Jiraiya was looking for the Fourth War's base of operations." Beacon's Headmaster informed the teen.

"Not lookin' for. Found." Mr. Roshi corrected him. He held up the item in his hand and placed it in Naruto's hand. The blond turned it over and his breath hitched.  
An old horned silver headband was now in his grasp.

"Wha-what is - Professor wha-?" Naruto looked back at Ozpin, whose eyes had closed. He looked at Roshi, whose face was grim.

"I'm sorry," Roshi said sincerely. He pointed at the headband. "But the Mountain needs a new Sage. Your waiting time is _over_."

Naruto looked down at the headband and shoved it back into Roshi's hands.

"That's not funny. This is not fucking funny."

"I'm afraid he's not joking, Mr. Uzumaki-" Ozpin began, reaching out to put a hand on the blond's shoulder. Naruto knocked Ozpin's hand off his shoulder as he backed away from them.

"I said cut it out!"

"Mr. Uzumaki, I know this is hard-"

"No...No, he was just going to talk to his publisher! He'll be back in a few weeks to perv and peep and-and..."

"-but you to come to terms with the reality of the situation-"

"Stop." Naruto pleaded and covered his ears, his eyes squeezing shut. "Shut up. He was just going to-"

Apparently fed up with Naruto's denial, Roshi grabbed hold of Naruto's collar, stopping his attempt to block out reality. The old Wanderer shoved the taller teen against the wall and glared at him.

"Goddammit, I'm sick 'n tired of seein' you brats today cry over the smallest _shit_! _Your_ godfather – _my_ friend – is _dead_ , boy!" He snarled, smoke pillaring out of his mouth as his aura flared. "He's dead and gone! Accept it _and_ the responsibilities that come with it!"

Pushed at his emotional limit for the day, something within Naruto snapped. His body began to lightly glow and he grabbed the older man's arms. His whisker scars appeared thicker and his eyes shone brightly as he glared right back at Roshi.

"Let. Go."

"I'll let go when you grow up!" Roshi barked as his body began to turn red.

"Mr. Wukong, Mr. Uzumaki, you both need to calm down," Ozpin said as the boy's aura flared with his growing distress. He gripped his cane tightly and rested his thumb over a concealed button.

"No! No calmin' down! Far as I'm concerned, the Mountain's too good for this selfish brat!" Roshi snapped. He curled his lip into a sneer. "Why Jiraiya thought you'd be a good Sage I'll never know."

"Shut. Up." Naruto growled.

"Dumbass always thought with his heart more than his head, but at least _he_ knew when to man up and take charge!"

"Let. Me. Go."

"Fucker must've been a terrible teacher if you never got that lesson, you sniveling, self-centered, waste of-"

Naruto let out what could only be called the cross of an anguished yell and an infuriated scream. Ozpin was barreled out of the way, knocked halfway down the hall, while Roshi found himself slammed through not just one, but _three_ of the building's classrooms. To the faculty's relief, they'd find later that no one was using the classrooms and they were scheduled for renovation anyway.

When the dust settled, Naruto had Roshi imbedded in the grounds outside the building. The older man was glaring up at him. Naruto's nostrils flared and his right fist shot out like a rocket, hitting the old Faunus right in the schnoz.

Roshi's head flopped back and his semblance cut out instantly. Naruto panted heavily and began to shamble off, not caring of the wide eyes staring at him.

* * *

"He was...going to get his book published..." Naruto mumbled as he rested against the nearest tree. His hand covered his face and his eyes squeezed shut. A faint but echoing roar made his eyes crack open and Naruto quickly pulled himself together. The last thing he needed or wanted was to be bothered by anyone right now.

What better way to relieve some stress than to kill some soulless creatures?

* * *

"Have you found anything yet?" Ozpin asked. He sent a mild look of annoyance to his longtime friend as she checked his right arm, which he landed on quite roughly, in the Uzumaki's 'fit'. He was back in his office and Roshi was 'escorted' to the medical building by a very irate Tsunade Senju.

Honestly, Ozpin believed he got off lightly.

" _You mean aside from Grimm remains strewn around in a way that would make even the most iron-stomached butchers of Remnant green in the face? Then no, nothing much._ " Asuma replied through the Scroll. The man was more than displeased with how Ozpin chose to handle the situation. To say any member of Team KAAG was annoyed would be an understatement. It was agreed that any news of this sort, no matter how inane it may seem, would be delivered by one of them.

' _Members of the Uzumaki are like their name suggests. They've whirlpools of emotions just waiting to be unleashed. Merciless and cruel, and cannot be ridden out or controlled, and God help whoever or whatever pisses them off to that point.'_ Hiruzen Sarutobi had commented when he was assisting with the cleanup that came after Naruto's mother had learned her family, being a wandering clan of nomads, were killed in a Grimm attack.

Arguably, the event that occurred today was considered 'tame' by Uzumaki standards. It even could've been prevented if Ozpin had handled it better.

The headmaster sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. "Please keep me informed."

" _You mean just like how you informed us that one of our own died? Oh yeah. I'll be_ sure _to do that._ " Asuma snorted before the call ended. Goodwitch frowned at the scroll.

"That was uncalled for." She murmured.

"Was it, though?" Ozpin asked. He lifted his hand out of his face and grabbed his cane to rise to his feet. "We need to contact James and tell him to stay out of it, his methods would only make it worse-"

" _I_ will tell General Ironwood to keep his patrols out of the Emerald Forest." Goodwitch interjected firmly as she pushed Ozpin back down into his seat. "You will rest and wait for Team KAAG to report in."

Ozpin didn't bother arguing and let Glynda leave as he sat down without another word. He was too tired. Jiraiya was a friend, a confident and a damn fine huntsman. His experience in skirmishes against Men, Faunus and Grimm alike made him an expert in frontline combat. His efforts in assisting Faunus' during their revolution, though little as it was in the grand scheme of things, marked him as a big name.

Then there were his novels.

A part of Ozpin could lie and say he would quickly get over the death of his favorite novelist, but Ozpin did his best not to lie. Stretch the truth here and there, but never again would he lie. Jiraiya's work held many underlying themes beneath smut and more smut – granted that was a good part of why so many read the books – and he'd been subliminally planting hidden messages that promoted peace and equality throughout his career.

Jiraiya would claim he wasn't a politician and would even go so far as to say he'd be terrible on any of the councils, but Ozpin knew that had Jiraiya ever gotten a seat, had he ever really _wanted_ to change things, he could. Jiraiya could even single-handedly destroy the Kingdom's current governments and build up his own if he so wished.

 _A goof and pervert, beg pardon,_ super _pervert you might have been, but no one was as politically savvy and underhanded when it came to that game as you, Jiraiya,_ Ozpin thought with a sad smile.

"Thinking of me? Oh, Ozpin, I'm flattered."

Ozpin's eyes snapped open and he glanced into the shadows, where his guest leaned against the wall.

"...I take it you've heard, then?" He asked.

"Heard? Whatever could you be talking about?" The guest rubbed his chin before he snapped his fingers. "Ah, could it be you're speaking of the death of The Toad Sage?"

"You know damn well what I mean, _Fire Shadow_." Ozpin spat in annoyance. "I'm too tired to deal with your games, anymore."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing." Fire Shadow drawled. He stepped forward into the light, revealing himself to be a man with a thick bandanna wrapped around the left side of his face. The right side, heavily scarred and warped, was left uncovered, while the blood red pupils within black eyes stared intently at the headmaster. Spiky black hair sprouted from his head, untamed and wild. He was dressed much like Team KAAG, in navy and olive uniform, and strapped to his back was a sickle that looked old and rusted. Around his left arm was a black band with a crude spiral leaf painted into it.

"We gave you a chance to show that you could handle the problem on your own. And what did you do? You let that old fool talk you into letting him come with you," Fire Shadow said with a disapproving frown on his face. He stepped forward and pulled a red Scroll from his pocket, one that bore the insignia etched into the band on his arm. "He wants to speak with you directly."

"...Doesn't this risk our alliance-?"

"Our alliance was compromised as soon as you let that _thief_ into the tower." The half-masked man snapped. He pushed the Scroll forward. "I'm in no mood for games, Ozpin. Talk to him. _Now_."

Ozpin grimaced and took the Scroll, opening it and pressing the solitary spiral button that appeared on the screen. A moment passed before a holographic image sprouted up. The head of a white haired man with half of his lower face appeared on screen. His left eye had a large scar from the top of his eyebrow to the middle of his cheek. Both of his eyes were dark, though the left seemed darker than the right, and both were narrowed in anger.

" _Do you know what you've done?_ "

"It was a mistake-" Ozpin began, only to be cut off.

" _No, no-no-no. A_ mistake _, Ozpin, is knocking a glass of water off of the counter. A_ mistake _is letting_ James Ironwood _defend another kingdom that he is not from. A_ mistake _is butt dialing your one night stand from three weeks ago._ " The holographic head's eyes narrowed further. " _What you did, Ozpin, was fuck up royally. Congratulations. You just singlehandedly broke all of Jiraiya's hard work._ "

"Now wait just a minute!" Ozpin frowned. "I have not broken any of Jiraiya's work! We are still allied with the Wanderers, are we not? I thought-?"

" _What you_ think _is irrelevant, Ozpin. The fact is, we are_ blinded _without our spymasters!_ " The masked man spat out. Ozpin winced and looked away from the glare leveled on him. " _The Queen still has pawns, Ozpin, and despite what control or eyes you think you have on them, they're still in play on_ your _side of the board. She took_ our _advancing rook and now has_ us _in check._ Your _next move determines whether or not it's checkmate for not just our Brotherhood, but all of Remnant as a whole. Think that over, while_ my _people try to fix_ your _'mistakes'. Fire Shadow, come home. Nightingale has another mission for you._ "

"You got it, Boss." Fire Shadow nodded. The holographic head flickered out of sight and the Scroll shut down. A massive portal appeared behind Fire Shadow and he grabbed the scroll from the desk. Fire Shadow flashed Ozpin a small smile. "Word of advice, Ozpin. Let the Brotherhood's Brains over in Kon handle the strategies from now on. You run your little school and do what you can to keep the Heartless Metal Man in line. He may be a General, but he's _not_ the Headmaster, dear Headmaster."

"Just go." Ozpin muttered, his head still hung.

"Ooh, guess The Lightning Fang's bite left a mark. Good. That's good." Fire Shadow chuckled and tossed the scroll up and down in his hand as he walked into the portal behind him. He shared some amused words of farewell that made Ozpin clench his hands around his staff.

"Good luck, Ozzy. You're going to need it."

* * *

As soon as classes for the day were cancelled due to some random and rather bizarre seismic activity, Teams RWBY and JNPR were pulled aside by Kurama and Sasuke. They mentioned that Ozpin had snatched Naruto up before the first tremor shook the school's grounds. Since then there had been three more, and both of the Kon natives were pretty sure it wasn't Remnant's tectonic plates to blame.

At lunch, Yang ran into Kurenai and Asuma and asked them if they'd seen her missing blond. Asuma brushed her off and stormed away. As he passed, Yang heard him grumble something about not having enough cigarettes for the stress the boys put him through and wishing he wasn't stuck with Kakashi's baggage. Kurenai explained that Naruto reacted poorly to some news that Professor Ozpin gave him. When asked what the news was, Kurenai said she wasn't at liberty to say, only that it was a personal issue.

"Naruto?" Yang called as she walked into the lecture room where she and Blake had their small spat earlier in the year. She and Naruto had been going back to the classroom whenever they wanted to play hooky, so it sort of became their spot. It was honestly the last place she'd thought to look, hell she even checked the library before she came here.

Finally, lilac eyes landed on the blond teen. He was seated at the front of the room with his back against the teacher's desk. He had his left arm draped over one knee that was pulled up to his chest, while his right rested at his side, gently clasped around two small glints bound by a loose cord, and both sets of knuckles were red with dried blood. His head was hung and his hair obscured his eyes from view. Scattered around the ruffled blond were a few freshly cooked instant meal cups. One was knocked over entirely and another was barely even touched.

 _Not good._ Yang thought as she bit on her lip and pulled her scroll out. She sent the group conversation a message telling that she'd found Naruto and then pocketed the device. When she was close enough, Yang took a seat at his side and sat there quietly, waiting. He made no sign of being aware of her presence. Not even a sound of greeting.

 _Very, very not good._

"Naruto...what happened? Why'd Professor Ozpin call you out of class today?" Yang ventured.

"...Jiraiya's dead."

 _Oh god._ Yang thought when Naruto's shoulders tensed.

"They...The Fourth War..."

Yang put her hand in the one that rested on his knee, grasping it tightly and pulling it away to let her have a better look at his eyes. She looked at him in concern and worry written on her features. Naruto's grip tightened around hers.

"He was the only _real_ family I had left, y'know? Only connection I had to my parents..." Naruto fiddled with the items in his right hand. A quick look revealed the items were his parents' rings. "He gave me these...said that they were the only thing requested removed from their bodies in their will. I...I don't even know what kind of weapons they used, how they fought...I can only imagine through stories. Old Toad told me friends removed any footage of them from the Net and they'd created a lot of enemies...All I had were stories. His stories."

Naruto tightened his grip around the rings.

"He was the only one that talked about them..."

"Are you – What am I thinking, of course you're not." Yang interrupted herself before she asked a very insensitive and stupid question. She leaned forward, trying to get a look past the short curtain of blond that his eyes hid behind. "Naruto, c'mon. Talk to me, let me help."

"...Why didn't he ask to go? I could've helped him...I could've...right?" Naruto's hand dropped from his face and he looked up at the ceiling. Two identical rivers of tears poured from his normally bright, now severely dark blue eyes, over his whisker marks and down to his jaw.

"Naruto..." She gently pulled him into a hug, his head on her shoulder while his arms wrapped loosely around her sides.

"Stupid old Toad..." Naruto muttered as his eyes squeezed shut. "Dumb perverted asshole..."

Tears fell silently and Yang pressed her head against his. Being someone that also bore her emotions to the world, she cried with him, for him, for his loss, for his pain. Her scroll buzzed in her pocket, but Yang ignored it as Naruto began to break down into sobs and clung to her like a lifeline. She would tell everyone he was fine in a few minutes, but for now Yang would shoulder his pain and help him take the first step through the loss of a family member.

Practically everyone knows that it's heartbreaking to see someone you care for look so utterly depressed, but that isn't what Yang felt at the moment. She was sad for Naruto and wished he didn't have to go through that pain, but at the moment, Yang was worried. She was worried that it would be _the_ breaking point for her boyfriend, the point where he lost himself.

She wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Naruto had lost so much already to the Fourth War: His parents were dead before he could even recognize them, let alone see their faces. He'd lost his pseudo-grandfather, who played a large part in his upbringing. A part of Naruto's soul was forever gone when their twisted project, a boy his age, died at his hands.

Now his godfather, the only remaining link he had to his parents, the man that had taken three years of his own time to show Naruto the world, was _gone_. In the grand scheme of things, it would appear to be a small loss, but Yang was sure that to Naruto, his world had been significantly rocked, and not in a good way.

If Yang were in his shoes, if someone had killed her father, her uncle, her teammates or her little sister, it would be enough to justify getting revenge by any means necessary. She would be out hunting down those responsible. That Naruto wasn't on a warpath right now could change in an instant.

So, it was now, in the moment, that Yang would push her fears back, and just be there. To help him grieve, to help him accept and to help him move on. They stayed in the classroom, silently grieving the world's Super Pervert with a Heart of Gold, for the rest of the day, until the rest of Team NHKS came to gather up their emotionally drained leader.

Kurama hung back while Sasuke helped Naruto hobble out and Haku cleaned up the wasted Ramen. The Faunus put a hand on Yang's shoulder, giving the red-eyed girl a grateful nod. He squeezed her shoulder once before he left the classroom, and after a few minutes, Yang vacated the room as well.

Yang pulled out her scroll when it played Ruby's jingle and sighed. Ignoring Ruby when she was with Naruto was easy, but doing it alone always made her feel horrible. Answering the call, Yang put the scroll up to her ear.

"Yes, Ruby?"

" _Did you hear the news?!_ "

"Yeah...I did." Yang sighed. She stopped at a window and looked over at a nearby building, where the janitorial staff was placing a tarp over a massive wall, and a few gardeners were debating how to best fill in the sudden groove that ruined the perfectly cut grass.

" _What're you going to do?_ " Ruby asked.

"I don't know, Rubes. Just...Be there, I guess." Yang muttered while she rested against the wall.

" _What?! Are you going to drop out, too?! You can't do this to us, Yang! Team RWBY needs you!_ "

"Wait a minute..." Yang frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Ruby, what are _you_ talking about? Who dropped out?"

" _Team NHKS!_ "

"... _What_!?" Yang almost dropped her scroll when she jumped back to her feet and sprinted for the Dorms. "What do you mean they dropped out!?"

" _Er, well, at least, that's what Nora told me._ " Yang's eye twitched. Nora was almost as bad a gossip as Kurama was, only her 'juicy news' was always embellished to the extreme, so most people didn't believe her. Most people sadly did not include Ruby." _She saw Kurama and Sasuke talking with Professor Ozpin and some old guy with a weird purple bar across his nose. She said Ren said he overheard them say they'd be packed and ready to go as soon as they found Naruto._ "

"As soon as-?!" Yang's eye twitched. "Ruby, get Weiss and Blake and meet me outside their room!"

" _Uhh...I would...But-Hey, give it back!_ " " _Yang, it's Blake._ " The soft-spoken voice of Yang's partner cut into the conversation while Ruby's struggles to reclaim her scroll were heard in the background. " _They're already gone._ "

Yang slowed to a stop, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stood alone in a hallway. "Gone...but, I just...I just saw them..."

" _Yeah, the um ...Old Guy, that Ruby described grabbed their things about fifteen minutes ago._ " Blake sounded uneasy. " _And um...Asuma and Guy_ helped _him._ "

Yang's head tilted down and her free hand balled into a fist, her eyes burned red with anger. "They helped..."

" _Yeah...Something...Something big is happening. I've heard a few whispers from the Vacuo students...And Sun's...Well, it doesn't...It almost..._ "

"Spit it out, Blake!" Yang frowned. Blake normally didn't mind being as blunt as sledgehammer, and it was admittedly one of her more positive traits. Sometimes things had to just be said, so that people would learn

" _Give me that._ " Weiss' voice interjected into the scroll. " _Yang. From what we've heard, it sounds like...like Vacuo's preparing for War. We think-well,_ I _think that Team NHKS has been drafted._ "

This time Yang did drop her scroll. She slumped to her knees and the voices of her team started to become muted. The red in her eyes had dwindled away as the thought of Vacuo preparing for war repeated in her mind.

Yang remained on her knees on the ground, her eyes unfocused and distant.

 _NHKS has been drafted._ Naruto _'s been drafted._

More silent tears poured out of her eyes, but they were not empathetic tears.

Yang wore her heart on her sleeves, and right now, it felt like they had just been ripped off.

* * *

 **AN: Whoa, yeah...War, Huh, yeah. What is it good for? ...Actually, from a writer's perspective, a great way to introduce conflict** _ **and**_ **a way to get the main characters out of the schoolyard.**

 **That's right people, the main Naruto-inspired arc begins! We're going BACK to Vacuo, but worry not, we're not going to leave Vale behind. The Vytal Arc is coming, just not yet.**

 **Oh, and, to those of you who thought Obito was a baddie?**

 **HA! I laugh at your gullibility!**

 **This is AU, ladies and gents. Characters are not going to be the same. They're not going to have that 'moment' that turned them nor are they going to be fully fleshed out off the bat. The Fourth War have always been intended to be the primary Naruto antagonists, but, with god knows how many arcs yet to come with RWBY, in the grand scheme of things, they're just another set of pawns.**

 **Nagato was never the big bad.**

 **Look out, Remnant...**

 **...For Tobi is a** _ **bad**_ **boy.**

 **RELBGTMONTHPROMOTESEQUALITY!**


	36. Homecoming

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXVI: Homecoming**

* * *

When Naruto awoke, he did not find himself back in his team's room. Hell, he was pretty sure he wasn't even on Beacon's campus. This thought was confirmed when he started to sit up, only to find that he was restricted by several thick leather straps that went across his body and kept his arms bound to his sides.

"What the fuck...?" Naruto muttered. His brows furrowed in bewilderment. He craned his head up and around in order to try and get a better view of the layout. There was an overhead light that flickered obnoxiously and the steel walls were covered in grime. Looking past his feet, he saw another grimy wall with a door in the middle, with a sliding port on the outside.

 _Okay...seriously. What. The. Fuck?_ Naruto thought while he jerked around in an effort to break out of his binds. As his semblance slowly built up, he grit his teeth and tried to force himself free. To his astonishment, the binds that kept him atop the table seemed to soak in the aura that Naruto expelled as his semblance's power grew. Rather than wasting time testing the binds' limits, Naruto stopped and closed his eyes.

 _All right, keep your cool, Naruto. Think it through._ Naruto took a deep breath and his eyes screwed shut. _The last thing I remember is being with Yang...And while we have joked about tying down each other, I highly doubt this is her doing. For one thing, I still have clothes on. Unless that's part of her game...Which is doubtful, but still a possibility. Though, considering my surroundings._

Naruto opened his eyes and glared around the room again.

 _Yeah, okay, definitely not Yang's attempt to cheer me up with role-play. Honestly, I don't know if I would totally be up for that. Old Toad would never let me live-Oh. Right. Dead._ Naruto closed his eyes and grimaced. _Oum, I really need to think about that later. I need to figure our when the hell did I get... wherever the fuck I am?_

The window on the metal door slid open with a grating squeal that Naruto was sure would annoy the hell out of any Faunus ten times it did him. Through the small window, two dark eyes appeared and were accompanied by a thin trail of smoke that drifted up.

"Awake, now?"

"Asuma? Where am I? What the hell is going on!?" Naruto demanded. He struggled against his binds and growled as his body began to glow. "And why the fuck can't I break out of these binds!?"

"Calm down, Naruto." Asuma said softly to the blond. Naruto glared at him with bared teeth, his eyes a bright red instead of their usual sparkling blue.

"And why the fuck should I!?"

"Because if you don't, I'll have to knock you out _again_ ," Asuma said flatly. He puffed on his cigarette and the smoke trail moved to the opposite side of the man's head. His finger rubbed at his eye, and Naruto got the feeling he was being flipped off discreetly. "On the flight here, you woke up and ...didn't react well to being taken from Beacon."

"We're not in Beacon!?"

"Calm. _Down_." Asuma reiterated firmly. "Listen-!"

"I think talking to him through the door is doing more harm than good, Asuma." Drawled an unseen male from the other side of the door.

"Commander, given his hostilities on the trip over-" an elderly voice protested from out of sight.

Naruto stiffened at the title that was used. Being the first line of defense that it was, Kon was not a village run by civilians. The _citizens_ ran the village of Kon, and civilians' opinions were of little concern in the grand scheme of things. Hearing that the top dog was outside his door, he was even more willing to calm down, if only to see the village's leader and get answers directly.

"Honorary advisors, what a surprise!" The other voice sarcastically chirped. "I don't believe I invited you to this location."

"Wha-Buh-We were only-!" An elderly woman sputtered, only to be cut off.

"In fact, I do believe upon taking office that I told you as clearly as I could to, and I quote 'fuck off and die.'"

"See here-!"

"Fuck. Off. And. _Die_." The younger man's voice reiterated. "The council was abolished during my master's time as the Fourth Commander, and I _personally_ abolished _your_ positions upon taking the Fifth seat. So! Now that our little history lesson is over, Asuma, would you kindly escort these _honorary_ members of the village _out_ of _my_ building?"

Naruto watched the small visible part of Asuma's eye glisten gleefully and a sharp clack of a sandal was heard as it shifted into place. The protesting elders' voices swiftly decreased in volume as they were led away from the cell he was in. The window on the door was slid shut swiftly, a feat Naruto didn't think was possible with how rusty it appeared, and the heavy lock door was audibly undone with a loud click. The door was pushed open and Naruto's dwindling rage was promptly snuffed out.

Standing in the doorway was a tall, lanky man with spikey silver hair. A thin, neat scar ran over his left eye. The eye in question was black, which contrasted greatly to the warm chocolate colored eye that rested in the right socket. That was as far as describing his facial features went because of the cloth mask that seemed molded to his face from the middle of his nose down to his neck.

The man wore the same attire Asuma chose to wear, with a few variations. Gloves with metal plates along the back were pulled over the man's hands and tape was wound tightly around the end of the man's pants, which were tucked into the man's combat sandals. His olive flak jacket was missing a few pouches that Asuma had and had a few bronzed bars stamped into the collar. Finally, wrapped around his head to keep his unusual silver hair from his eyes, was a navy band with a blank metal plate on it.

"Kakashi." Naruto blinked. Kakashi's eyes closed and seemingly curved upwards, as if he were smiling. His left hand vacated his pocket and lifted up in greeting.

"Yo!" Kakashi's carefree tone and his slouched posture greatly differed from the commanding voice that had been heard through the door. He walked over to the wall on Naruto's left and tapped a few visible screws in a unique sequence.

The bands that held Naruto in place were quickly retracted into the table and Naruto slowly sat up. Rubbing his red right wrist, the blond kept his attention on his former teacher.

"...Where-?"

"This, Naruto, is a specially made room crafted in the very heart of the Commander's Office." Kakashi sighed and let his head hang slightly as he faced the teenager. "A room that was meant to hold you, should you...do something you'd regret."

"...W-What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He examined the room again. No windows, one door, and a lifted bed to rest on. It was a bed that could keep him in place even when he had his semblance on the rise, thanks to those weird anti-Aura bands. He shuddered, even hospitals had windows.

"The Ramen Incident."

Naruto blinked and looked back at his old teacher.

"Naruto, do you even _remember_ what happened on that day?" Kakashi asked. Naruto shook his head and the older man shuddered. "You know what, that's probably for the best. Ibiki can't look at you the same way anymore."

"...Who's Ibiki?"

"Exactly. Now c'mon, I'll walk you back to your apartment," Kakashi said with a concealed grin thrown over his shoulder. "You need to shower. Three days in a dark hole does not leave for a clean aroma."

"That's not exactly my fault..." Naruto deadpanned as he followed his sensei out of the room. A minute ticked by before he caught up to what was said. "Wait a minute! _Three_ days!?"

"You are _very_ unreasonable when you're under _its_ control, Naruto."

"Under _what's_ control? Kakashi, where am I?! Where's my team?! Why aren't we in Beacon-?!" Naruto stopped before he ran into the halted form of the older man. Kakashi had turned halfway to face him and Naruto's anger, which was slowly bubbling its way back up to the surface, quickly retreated at the cold, detached look forced down on him.

In front of him right now was no longer his beloved teacher from his days at Kon Academy, but the Fifth Commander assigned to watch over and run the village at the behest of Vacuo's leaders. He stared down at Naruto like the blond was a child throwing a tantrum. It was not a look he had ever seen on his teacher's face and it was not one he wanted to be under ever again.

"...Are you done?" Kakashi asked. Naruto swallowed a big gulp of air and his tongue turned to lead. He nodded stiffly.

"Y-Yes...sir."

"Good." Kakashi turned forward and resumed his stride. It took only a second for Naruto to be roused from his shaken state, and he quickly rushed back up to walk alongside his old teacher. Kakashi let his hands rest behind the small of his back, resting over the collapsed form of his weapon while they continued down the hallway. "Now, I cannot say anything about where you are precisely, as it would diminish the purpose of the location if you were to ever escape your binds, however unlikely that would be. Sasuke, Kurama and the Fog student are currently preoccupied with preparations for an assignment I gave to them and _only_ to them."

"They're _my_ team!" Naruto blurted out in protest. A raised hand stopped anything more that might've been said by the whiskered blond.

"As proud as I am to hear you say that, part of being a leader is knowing how to trust your subordinates to take care of themselves," Kakashi said. He sent a kinder, much more familiar eye-smile at the blond. "After all, you're still one of _my_ cute little students, no matter how tall you get or how many gray hairs you grow."

"...Kakashi, _you_ have gray hair." Naruto deadpanned.

"So? In case you've forgotten, Naruto, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I have the hair of an old man, but the beauty of a young maiden" he said cheerfully. The two eyes opened and leveled the blond with a stern look. "In all seriousness, though, Naruto, this is a trial for them more-so than it is for you. Keep that in mind."

"Fine...But that doesn't mean I have to like it." Naruto grunted.

"I'd be more upset if you did," the village leader said with an approving nod. "While you've been away, there have been several changes in Kon's structure, as have there been in our sister villages. Vacuo's been poisoned by the elders and minor councils for decades now. Unintentionally, I'm sure, but still, the damage is painfully obvious. Your childhood circumstances, for example."

Naruto grimaced and reached up to gently grab hold of the rings that dangled from his neck. He didn't like to dwell on the past for too long for good reason; there were more tears than smiles.

"Ugh, I hate when you get all serious, Kakashi. What's that even mean?" Naruto groaned and scratched his head. Kakashi stopped at the bottom of a stairwell and turned to face Naruto fully. His stern 'leader' glare was back and Naruto struggled not to wilt beneath it.

"I will not cut corners with you, Naruto. Since news of Jiraiya's death has reached us, we've been preparing for war. We even revoked the age limit on enrollment to the academy." His words made Naruto's eyes widen. Before the whiskered blond could say anything, Kakashi held his hand up to keep him quiet. Assured he had Naruto's full attention, his hand dropped back to rest behind him. "I know. It's wrong, and it's a horrible thing to think about, but I'd rather have children that can defend themselves in the worst-case scenario than innocents who had no chance from the get go. I swear to you now as I swore to the parents of the village, they will _never_ see a battlefield so long as I can help it."

"...I'll hold you to it, Commander." Naruto nodded with a frown on his face.

"See that you do." Kakashi nodded back. He turned on his heel and proceeded to go up the stairs, Naruto still following behind him. "With your godfather gone, our connection to the Myōboku Wanderers and our information network in general is weakened. He may not have shared who his contacts around Remnant are with you, but if he has, please let me know."

"During our trip we stopped at a lot of red light districts, brothels and bars," Naruto said softly. "Start there. Anyone who's avoiding his name should be worth noting. I never met any of his contacts, but he knew that he...he..."

Kakashi stopped for a third time and looked back down at Naruto.

"Naruto," he said softly, reaching out to put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Lord Jiraiya was..."

"...What were you talking about earlier? You said something about me being under 'its' control? What control are you talking about?" Naruto asked without meeting Kakashi's gaze. While he was grateful for the words and support, he still wasn't really ready to talk about it. Hell, he could hardly believe he was...wherever they were for three days when it felt like only one night had gone by. Kakashi seemed to understand this and retracted his hand. They started walking again, ascending the stairwell in silence for a good three flights.

 _Just how deep underground are we, anyway?_ Naruto wondered as they started up the fourth flight. With each step echoing in his head and his worry for his teammates growing, Naruto almost snapped when Kakashi suddenly stopped halfway up the flight.

"I'm going to have to blindfold you, Naruto. This is as far as any detainee has gotten without being caught." Kakashi turned and offered a black band he pulled from one of the hidden pouches on his flak jacket. "I've asked a lot of your patience today and I know that it is waning, but please trust me. I do this for your safety."

"...Blindfolding someone halfway up a flight of stairs who knows how many feet underground...Yeah. My safety is _obviously_ what you're worried about." Naruto deadpanned. He still complied, knowing how he could easily be ordered or – Oum forbid – glared at. Seriously, Kakashi's glare was on par with Yang's yelling, with only the latter winning marginally.

"I promise, Naruto, this will all make sense soon." Kakashi assured him as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Then a cold feeling overcame the blond, along with a _lot_ of pressure. It was as if someone suddenly tossed him into the ocean with weights on his legs.

 _Pervy Sage, though I miss you, I do not miss your training exercises…_ Naruto thought as he banished that particular memory. He was almost shark bait. Then, as suddenly as it came, the feeling vanished. With it went all of Naruto's energy and the air in his lungs. He fell to his hands and knees, gulping down that sweet, sweet life-gas vigorously while Kakashi rubbed his back.

"Sorry, Naruto." The village leader apologized. "It's disorienting the first time for everyone. You'll be a little light headed for a while. Trust me, I speak from experience."

"Are you going to hold that against me forever? Because I've told you that it was _totally_ not my fault." The voice of a newcomer was muffled and, as curious as he was, Naruto couldn't find the strength to remove his visual hindrance. If this was anything what it was like to _not_ be blessed with ever increasing durability and strength, Naruto was so grateful to whatever powers that be he wasn't 'normal'.

"Yes, just as I'm sure it wasn't Lord Fourth's fault that his semblance gave us a damn heart attack every time he used it to 'accidentally surprise' us." Kakashi's deadpanned response would've made Naruto laugh, but he was still trying to breathe.

"Heh, yeah...Wait, you actually had heart attacks? It was so hard to tell with how 'professional' you were."

"Fuck you, you good for nothing klutz."

"Ah, you know I wuv you, Kaka-baka! You're my cute widdle brother!" There was a loud crash and a following groan. "Ow..."

"Klutz?" Naruto asked once he got back to his feet and could breath normally again. "Kakashi, what the hell was that? Where are we? Can I take this stupid thing off now?"

"You may remove the cloth, Naruto."

Naruto did so as soon as his old teacher said the word 'remove'. He found himself in the village leader's office, a place he'd been many times in his youth to speak with his beloved and now deceased grandfather. The décor had hardly changed, though there were now five pictures above the leader's desk instead of the previous four. Naruto's eyes lingered on the fourth picture momentarily, taking in the intense seriousness that had overcome his father's face when he got his picture taken.

"You know, he'd be proud of you, kid." Naruto jumped when a hand of inorganic material patted his shoulder. The owner of the arm was scarred man with a good portion of the left side of his face covered. He was someone Naruto held dear to heart, even if he had to be away for long portions of time. Hell, this was the man who'd gotten him started on pranking in the first place.

"Obito!" Naruto grinned before clasping his hand around the older man's false one. A quick bro-hug was shared between the two. When they parted, Naruto continued to smile at the older man. "How've you been!? Where've you been?! It's been a few years!"

"How've _I_ been? Kid, how've _you_ been?" Obito asked, his smile slipping and becoming a frown. "I'm not back in town for three minutes and I hear you're only _now_ awake."

"I..." Naruto's smile faltered and his eyes dropped. "I've been...Okay."

"He's been suffering from the Uzumaki Curse, Obito." The two spiky haired males looked at Kakashi, who'd taken his seat behind his desk. The white haired man gestured to the chair set opposite him. "Naruto, this may surprise you, so, please. Sit."

Naruto blinked, looked back to the man he considered his pseudo-uncle, before he took the offered seat. Obito moved to lean against the edge of Kakashi's desk, careful not to disturb the few photographs set there by the Commander, and crossed his arms. Kakashi interlaced his hands in front of his masked face.

"Tell me, Naruto. What do you _know_ about your family?"

"They were a clan of nomads who stayed within the boundaries of Vacuo. They didn't worry about settling because they could handle the Grimm and preferred to be on the move rather than worry about starting up defensive positions in one place," Naruto said, reciting what he could from memory about Vacuo's nomadic clans.

"Good, but do you know why they chose to brave the Grimm on a daily basis? Why they didn't join Vacuo or form their own settlement?" Kakashi asked. Naruto shook his head. The silver haired man looked at Obito, who shrugged, before he looked back at his student. "That would be due to the Uzumaki's familial semblance."

"...Uh-?"

"It's not a semblance in a traditional sense." Obito was quick to add. "It's rare, but you know how some traits happen to follow a family such as hair or eye color for generations? Well, this was a small trait that also happened to follow the family, but more of an internal trait than an external trait."

"...So, that's why you call it the Uzumaki Curse, instead?" Naruto muttered. "It's a negative trait."

"It's not...negative, per say. It just happens to kick in around the worst times for an Uzumaki. Generally when they're under great stress or emotional anguish. Now, that's not an excuse for you to use," Kakashi said. Naruto nodded with a somber look on his face. Kakashi leaned forward. "From what your mother told us and what Jiraiya learned over time he spent with you, was your family's curse tended to...amplify an individual's semblance."

"What do you mean? Make it stronger?" Naruto frowned. "How's that a bad thing?"

"Imagine you've just witnessed your team get slaughtered by Grimm, Naruto." Obito cut in. He rubbed his arm gently for a moment before he looked back at Naruto. "Imagine you watched your most treasured friends and allies fall. Tell me, what would you do?"

"...I'd kill the Grimm." Naruto muttered. He thought about the offered scenario, and clenched his fists. "Probably be so mad that...I'd push my semblance as far as it could go. To do it as fast as I could so I...I could put them to rest."

"But then after the Grimm were destroyed, what if you couldn't stop?" Obito asked. "What if you kept raging? Kept attacking anything in sight? And all the while, your semblance continued to grow in power until finally you stopped. Forever."

"...Is...Is that the Curse?" Naruto asked softly, his eyes wide. "An insatiable bloodlust?"

"It doesn't have to be bloodlust Naruto." Kakashi said. "Emotional turmoil in general or just a lot of stress causes the semblance to act out and flare up. Negative emotions would just bring Grimm to the location and allow the Semblance use. Then it would go amok from there."

"Until death..." Naruto concluded somberly. He closed his eyes. "That's...That's how my mother died, isn't it?"

"...Yes." Kakashi nodded while Obito looked down. "...The night you were born, we were attacked by the Fourth War for the first time. Their leader isolated your parents from the village. From what we learned in the post-battle investigation, your father was severely injured and Kushina was...consumed by the Curse while you were...held hostage."

Naruto's hands tightened on the arms of his chair. "So...I was abducted. And they were manipulated."

"Naruto, look at me." Kakashi said firmly. He waited until the blond looked at him again. "You. Were. A. _Baby_. There was nothing you could do but cry. If anything, it was because of you that we found the battlefield at all."

"On a side note, you had a hell of a set of lungs on you. I think I still have problems with this ear," Obito said while pointing at his covered ear. Naruto looked at him and cracked a small smile. The older man grinned back at him.

"Are you sure that wasn't from all the scolding you've had over the years?" Kakashi asked dryly. Obito fell over and a cloud of depression could almost be seen drifting off of the man while he drew circles in the floor with his robotic arm.

"Such a mean little bro..." Obito complained.

"Tough love, Obito. It's all tough love." Kakashi cheerfully informed him.

Naruto chuckled and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. He missed the quick look the older men shared as he did. When his arm lowered, Obito was back leaning against Kakashi's desk while the Commander had started to dig around in his desk. A second later and a set of keys were tossed Naruto's way.

"I've been holding onto these since you left. I know you wanted it renovated and cleaned for someone else to move in, but...we'll always have a place for our own," Kakashi said, his eyes closed in their usual smiling manner. "Go home, think on what I've said."

"And for Oum's sake, take a shower, man!" Obito waved his organic hand in front of his face. "You smell like the _worst_ case of afterglow."

"I-That's-He locked me up somewhere for three days!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger at Kakashi, who'd retreated to hide behind a certain book. Naruto's eye twitched. _Kakashi pulled a Sasuke...Or has Sasuke been pulling a Kakashi? Son of a bitch._

"Excuses!" Obito turned his head away and pointed at the door. "Begone from our sight, Citizen!"

Naruto scowled at them and walked out, grumbling over how it wasn't his fault he stank and how much he'd rather be at Beacon hanging out with his girlfriend.

* * *

Once the blond left, Obito dropped his playful façade and frowned. He stepped forward and looked over the village. His inorganic hand rested behind him while he put a hand on the window.

"Kakashi," he began softly. "Do you think telling Naruto how we found his parents was wise?"

"He's now a huntsman-in-training, Obito. If _She_ has her way, he'll either be a Huntsman before the second year even starts or worse." Kakashi replied, not looking up from his book once. He turned the page and exhaled softly through his nose. "He'll be dead."

"Then let's pray that when his team returns, we find something we can use to delay _her_ wishes," Obito said softly. He turned around and walked back to his longtime friend's desk. "Speaking of, has any word been sent on their progress?"

"No. Still nothing. I hope it's just the radio silence, but..." Kakashi sighed and set his book down. He looked over at a picture of himself with four young students. Naruto and Kurama had their arms over each others' shoulders, giving each other bunny ears, while Sasuke had his arms crossed and looked away from the camera stubbornly, while between Naruto and Sasuke was a happy Sakura giving the camera a victory sign, and Kakashi stood behind them all with his hand on Naruto and Sasuke's heads, ruffling their hair and his eyes closed. The Commander of Kon smiled gently behind his mask.

"I can't help but worry," he said. "They are my precious students."

* * *

Naruto sighed as he shut the shower off and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist. He'd needed that more than he thought he did. The shower was more of a stress reliever than it was a time to wash his body. He stepped out of the shower once the water had fully stopped, with water still dripping from his hair and running down from his head.

Naruto wiped away the fog in his bathroom mirror and investigated the marks on his face again.

" _You were...held hostage._ "

The words repeated in Naruto's head and he frowned while three fingers ran across his cheek. That only cemented his belief that the marks were some sort of scarring, perhaps left by the one that abducted him.

Naruto shook his head, unintentionally splattering droplets on the mirror and walls. He was just going to get himself worked up if he kept thinking about it. Naruto dug around in his bathroom cabinet before he found a duplicate of his old toothbrush, still in the packaging.

Naruto chuckled and ripped the utensil out, lathered it with toothpaste, and began scrubbing away at his teeth for a good few minutes while his mind drifted from one subject to another. These thoughts were generally focused on either his team or his girlfriend. Recalling Kakashi's earlier words to not worry about the former, he spat out the toothpaste and wiped away any residue with his formerly waist-bound towel.

What? Being a bachelor and living alone had its perks, and Naruto really didn't care for modesty.

Walking out of the restroom and using his towel to finish drying his hair, Naruto looked around his small apartment. A fond smile crossed his face as he looked at the few markings made into the wall. Being the runt of the class, he always took time each morning to measure how much he'd grown.

"Heh, stopped after Ero-Sennin and I came back," Naruto said softly, his smile becoming sad. Naruto put his hand on the wall and closed his eyes. The day he returned to Kon was one of the most bittersweet memories he had. Yes, he came home for his last year of Kon Academy, but that was also the day he'd met and was almost robbed by Emerald.

 _...I should call Yang._ Naruto thought as he opened his eyes. Up and disappearing on his girlfriend after sharing an emotional night was probably not a smart move, but it wasn't exactly his fault. And thinking about his ex-girlfriend was one of the last things he _wanted_ to do, but at least thinking of her always made him think of Yang.

Coming to the conclusion that he was thinking too much and doing too little, Naruto walked to his room and tossed his towel off in the corner. He didn't really care where it landed, and was more focused on finding his Scroll.

Upon finding the Scroll, in the sitting room of all places, Naruto was hindered by making the call when Obito suddenly walked into his apartment.

"Hey, kiddo! Feeling bett-Oh for the love of-Naruto! Put some pants on dammit!"

"You're the one barging into my apartment, Obito!"

"Who walks around naked in their apartment!?"

"I do, you jackass!"

"Why!? Why would you do such a thing!?"

"Because it's my apartment!"

"That makes no sense!"

"It makes perfect sense!"

"Just get dressed!"

"You get out!"

Ah, it was great to be home.

* * *

 **AN: Ahh, and now back to VA. Man, am I glad some of you recurring readers love my newest fic! One chapter in, and E4E and I have to be diligent as we work on the second one.**

 **But now, hijinks have ensued, next time on VA – We rejoin the rest of Team NHKS and see what they've been up to.**

 **Y'all know what comes next!**

 **REHASHTAGALLLIVESMATTER!**


	37. A CHIBI-E-A-U-Tiful Day!

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **36.5: A CHIBI-E-A- _U_ -Tiful Day!**

* * *

It was a wonderfully bright day at Beacon Academy.

Team RWBY had gone off to investigate the academy's pool and Team JNPR were at Vale's hottest arcade, Nora was determined to beat her high score.

Team NHKS had declined going off with either of them to watch the festivities of the Vacuo's Big Five Intermediate Tournament (it had been renamed due to a new sponsor, a candy bar of all things). However, that wasn't until later in the evening, so the guys decided to enjoy the sunny day and talk about their academies during a picnic.

"Yeah, that Karen chick was almost as creepy as Hinata Hyuga," a shorter, more compact version of Kurama said thoughtfully before he finished off his beef sandwich.

Naruto, whose head was even rounder than before compared to his small body, looked at him oddly while he grabbed another wrapped sandwich from the picnic basket.

"Which one was Hinata again?" he asked.

"...The Hyuga in our grade, dumbass." Kurama and Sasuke – yes, he too had a big head, but that was like that before the animation shifted – deadpanned. Naruto stared at them blankly and they simultaneously clapped their hands over their faces. Kurama recovered first, using the pause to snatch Naruto's sandwich and ignored his team leader's indignant squawk.

"Lavender eyes, baggy clothes, always had short hair with them, what do you call 'em, those straight princess bangs?" Kurama tilted his head in thought and ripped the sandwich out of its wrapping. He took a bite out of it. "I know they got their own name because they're used in those pervy comics that Sasuke has under his bed."

Sasuke choked on the rest of his Everybody Loves Grape soda. He forced a swallow and then glared at the foxily grinning teen.

"You swore you'd never speak of those!"

Kurama shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich.

"I lied."

"Oh, you're speaking of a Hime cut. That style was made popular back before The War by some western nobles of Vacuo," Haku – who looked absolutely _adorable_ with his enormous cranium – said helpfully. He shrugged at the odd looks sent his way. "What? You have your hobbies and I have mine. Don't judge."

"...Fair enough. How was she creepy?" Naruto asked, looking back at Kurama. He grabbed an energy drinks that Sasuke reached for and popped the tab. He smirked at the scowl on his best frival's face before he took a bite of the sandwich Haku handed him.

"Well, there's her X-ray semblance that I'm certain she abused constantly because of Ino's peer pressure. Then there was the whole random passing out whenever she passed us in the hallways. The constant blushing and finger fidgeting whenever someone tried to talk to her. And finally, the nail in the coffin, was that she stalked you for most of Academy." Kurama answered nonchalantly. The whiskered blond nodded as he took a drink from his aluminum can. Kurama smirked and counted down with his fingers from three before he pointed at Naruto.

As predicted, Naruto promptly spat out what he was drinking. Consequently, he doused both Haku and Sasuke in a bizarre amount of backwash and a good portion of sticky energy drink. Both pretty boys were unamused, but Kurama laughed hard.

"She _stalked_ me!?" Naruto asked, wide eyed and suddenly feeling the need to take fifteen showers. "For almost _all_ of the Academy? Wha-How?"

"Wait, you _still_ didn't know?" Kurama asked, before he looked at Sasuke. "You didn't tell him?"

"She stopped during the last year and started dating Inuzuka. I figured there was no harm no foul." The teen grumbled as he wiped Naruto's spray from his face.

"That...that is _so_ not cool! She _stalked_ me! Did you guys know this whole time?!" Naruto asked, looking between his two friends. They nodded and the blond gaped before he grabbed his head. "What the _fuck_ guys?!"

"I have to side with Naruto on this one," Haku said with a nod. He frowned at his teammates.

"Actually, everyone knew. It was so painfully obvious she liked you, so no one did anything, figuring that she'd either nut up or shut up." Sasuke grumbled, still sour from being used as target practice.

"You guys are supposed to be my friends! Why didn't you say anything?! Why didn't Sakura say anything?!" Naruto asked.

"Not sure." Kurama shrugged. "Personally? I thought it was a riot."

"Fuck you, fuzz butt!"

"As much as I'd _love_ to, I'm pretty sure that Yang would try to kill me."

"Same." Sasuke shrugged. "That and again, I figured no harm, no foul. It wasn't like she broke into your house when you weren't..."

The three boys suddenly became very quiet. Haku, dried off and back to eating and enjoying the revealing conversation, looked around confused.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"The Wave Mission." Sasuke muttered.

"We were only gone for a month, but you don't think she'd actually." Kurama trailed off. He shook his head. "No. There's no way, she could've. I mean, your apartment had security, right Naruto? Your anti-intruder defenses of doom were all set up, weren't they? ...Naruto?"

"...I think I know why all the boxers I left behind were missing, now." Naruto's eyes were wide and his arms were wrapped around his body. He shuddered and pulled his knees in. Haku, Sasuke and Kurama stared worriedly at their team leader as he began to rock back and forth. "So...unclean..."

"...I think it would be wise to never have another picnic." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Yep." Haku nodded, using a Mirror to dump the basket and the remaining food into the garbage can two feet away.

"Good call." Kurama agreed.

"Stalker...Took my underwear..." Naruto began to suck on his thumb. It was then and there that Team NHKS decided that picnics were a thing of the past.

* * *

A hand slammed down next to Naruto's head. The sudden impact caused him to snort awake. His head flung up, uncaring for the drool that was at the corner of his mouth, and he began to look around frantically. He examined his arms, body and legs, patting them down and sighing in relief when he found they were normal sized.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Obito looked worriedly at the blond boy seated beside him. They were at a small restaurant waiting for their check. Obito had decided to treat the teen as an apology for walking in unannounced, even though he still thought that walking around naked – no matter where you were – was weird.

"Huh? Yeah? Is Hinata around?" Naruto asked as he resumed checking his surroundings, even looking under the cushion of his seat.

"Hinata? ...You mean Hiashi's kid?" Obito asked. When Naruto nodded and continued to look around worriedly, lifting the nearby table, the bionic-armed, one-eyed man shook his head. "Nah, she's still over in Vale. She's part of the MEDC-in-training."

"Thank god..." Naruto sighed in relief as he slumped back down in his seat. "My boxers are safe..."

"...Are you sure you're okay?" Obito looked at the tower of empty bowls and hummed. "You know, I think that Wasabi Ramen isn't agreeing with your stomach."

"What?!" Naruto snapped his head up and glared at the older man. He pointed at Obito dramatically. "You _shame_ my parents' and my honor by even _fathoming_ such blasphemy!"

"...Okay, yeah, no more Wasabi Ramen for you." Obito deadpanned. "Ever."

* * *

 **AN: Okay, a little omake chapter, but I totally forgot to add it in at the end of the last chapter – that's my bad! – and while it DOESN'T seem important, it very well could be. Maybe. Possibly.  
**

 **Definitely.**

 **Also, that Wasabi Ramen was a shout out. If you can figure out to what, you get a cyber cookie! Huzzah!**

 **RELEAKEDVOL4TRAILERHADTERRIBLEQUALITY!**


	38. De Brief De Parture

**AN: Wow, you all knew pretty much what story I was referencing with that Omake. The story was** _ **Naruto: Magik**_ **by Thayerblue1! Check it and the rest of his/her stories out for a very good selection of reads. Oh, and Cyber Cookies for** _ **ALL**_ **!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXVII: De Brief, De Parture**

* * *

" _Whisker Boy, for the hundredth time, I_ know _that you're sorry. What I am angry about is that you haven't come back to Beacon,_ " Yang said over the Scroll call.

Naruto grimaced and scratched the back of his head at his girlfriend's frustrated growl. He was currently sitting outside of the Commander's office, waiting for his team's debriefing to come to an end. They'd returned a couple of days after he was released from his strange underground prison, and in that time period, he'd had spoken with Yang over scroll, vid-chat, and shared texts. Every time they did speak – after he clarified that _no_ his team hadn't dropped out of Beacon, but were hired for a job by Kon's Commander – she would bring up their return.

"I know, but this is a long term assignment and I wasn't exactly present to accept the mission." Naruto sighed. He rubbed his face when she huffed through the line.

" _They shouldn't have been able to accept!_ "

"Yang, before we go out on one of these missions, hierarchy has to be determined by a team leader in case of a W.C.S. –"

" _A what?_ "

"Worst Case Scenario," Naruto said. "I made Sasuke my second-in-command, and he wouldn't have taken this mission unless it was important. I can't tell you all of the details-"

" _That's convenient_." Yang muttered sourly.

" _But_ ," Naruto ignored her interjection and continued, "I can tell you that it _is_ important. My hometown is in danger."

" _You're a first year Huntsman, what difference could you make?!_ "

"First of all, _ow_. That hurt both my feelings _and_ my pride. I expect a kiss to make it better. Secondly, you _remember_ what my team did during The Breach, right?" Naruto asked pointedly. He leaned his head against the wall and cracked a grin. "Or are you still miffed that _we_ blew up the square while your team only left a few dents?"

" _Naruto, I'm being serious!_ "

"So am I, Yang." Naruto returned firmly as his grin slipped from his face. He looked forward, out the windows of the Commander's waiting room, to observe the sun setting over his birthplace. "This is our home, where we were born, raised, and trained. I'd risk it all to protect it _and_ Beacon. Wouldn't you give your life to protect Patch?"

" _...When you get back, I am_ so _cashing in on our bet._ "

"Figured as much." Naruto sighed. He rubbed his hand over his face. "Any way I can talk you into a double or nothing?"

" _Nope~!_ "

"Damn." Naruto groaned. He cracked a little smile when Yang laughed. At least she wasn't growling anymore. "So, anything happen while we've been gone?"

" _Nora told me that she thinks Pyrrha's crushin on Jaune._ "

"Really?! Huh, I didn't see _that_ coming."

" _I know, right?_ " Yang snorted. " _That's like saying Weiss has it bad for Kurama._ "

"Now _that's_ funny!" Naruto laughed. "It's never going to happen!"

* * *

Kakashi stared across his desk at the three young men seated across from him. Two were his former students, who'd grown slightly since he last saw them, both externally and internally. The newcomer was from Kon's sister village _and_ the protégé of a known and wanted assassin. Kakashi knew the boy's story already. He had known everything as soon as Ozpin sent him the team roster and, until very recently, his faith in Ozpin's decision hadn't been shaken in the slightest.

That being said, the three across from him looked shaken, sleep-deprived, angry, and anxious.

Kakashi watched them jump when Obito popped back into the room from the records building.

Most would've missed it, but some experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses would've seen the tensed shoulders, the hands moving quickly to or tightening around their weapons, and their eyes dilating in preparation.

Experienced _soldiers_ , those who'd experienced horrors of combat that most modern Huntsmen and Huntresses likely never saw, would notice the rapid movement of eyes as they scanned the surroundings, the quickening of breath that came with the rush of adrenaline, and the slightest tremor or twitch somewhere on their body.

Kakashi and Obito shared a quick look, unnoticed by the three inexperienced teens. They were familiar with the signs because they saw it in each other every day. The deaths of their teammates, friends, and their teacher left wounds that no amount of counseling or bandages could heal. They just survived, day by day, living lives that could barely be called such.

Though the symptoms weren't as severe for the three, Kakashi could tell that they were not fit for any sort of field mission so soon.

 _What did they see to rattle them so much?_ The Commander wondered. He interlaced his hands and looked the three over again. Of them, one was more anxious to get this over with than the others. So Kakashi addressed him first.

"Walk us through what happened, Kurama."

The Fox-tailed Faunus' jaw flexed and he took a deep breath.

"Two days after our departure from Beacon, Obito Nohara, aka, Fire Shadow, approached us while our team leader was...detained." Kurama began. "Our mission was to investigate the disappearances that had occurred in Kon's Red Light District. We started with the reports and dismissed Grimm attacks as the cause simply because there were no signs of intense struggle and that whoever was reported missing was generally a member of Kon's Forces. We suspected that the disappearances were because of narcotic use to drug the victims and relocate them with possibly unreciprocated sexual intentions in mind."

"Basically, we planted a trap." Sasuke added. He ignored the dull glare Haku sent his way for the pun that Yang and Naruto would approve of. Kakashi arched a brow and Obito bit down on his cheek to conceal a chuckle. Team NHKS' second-in-command continued undeterred. "Haku went into the bar that was the location closest to or where victims were last sighted. Disguised, it didn't take long for drinks to be offered to Haku. However, due to how many were willing to buy him drinks, we couldn't isolate a potential suspect."

"And instead you risked giving yourself alcohol poisoning?" Kakashi asked, looking skeptically at Haku. The androgynous boy blinked, his face stone and void of emotions.

"I was never in any danger. I'm fairly familiar with poisons and antidotes. My _mentor_ made sure of that."

 _Keep it up with that attitude and I might just start to like you, kid._ Kakashi thought, while he stuck with his own mask to conceal his true feelings. The Commander looked back at Sasuke and nodded.

"It was around three in the morning Haku was affected by something," Sasuke said. He looked at Kurama. "Kurama noticed an abnormality with Haku's aura flow."

"Sluggish and rapidly weakening. He was drugged by something scentless." Kurama added. The Faunus tilted his head. "That or the sheer amount of bar stench in the air made it impossible to isolate the drug."

"And you call my keen eyesight bullshit." Sasuke muttered. Shaking his head, the young archer continued. "At any rate, once Haku was drugged, we waited for him to leave and get abducted."

"Without identifying the abductor?" Kakashi asked skeptically.

"We figured it would be too risky to try and get visual confirmation on the pickup." Kurama admitted. The Faunus cracked a small smirk. "And luckily for us, but mostly for Haku, there was no sexual intention that threatened his vulnerable state."

"I _will_ tell Velvet you said that." Haku deadpanned. Kurama shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

 _Velvet?_ Kakashi subtly arched a brow as he scrutinized the Faunus. _Kurama got a serious girlfriend? Ooh, my inner gossip must know more. No, wait, that can come later, Kakashi. Stay focused._

"Considering that you're all still alive and had made it back in piece along with the missing others, would it be unreasonable to ask that we jump to the real discovery made?" Kakashi asked. The three teens visibly became serious and solemn. Any of the Commander's amusement from most of the story up until now had been lost. "Well?"

"...We discovered that Orochimaru had constructed an underground laboratory where he performed genetic experiments on humans to give them abnormal Faunus-like traits. Bastard already gave himself a _reptilian_ make-over." Kurama growled. His hand tightened around his staff until his knuckles threatened to break through his skin. "It's several miles east of Kon, between the ruins of the Grasslands and Vacuo's Shame."

 _Between the Grasslands and – Dear god, I thought we had more time! We're not ready for any sort of attack!_ Kakashi straightened in his seat and narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Obito, whose lone eye was narrowed and his left hand trembled as it balled into a fist.

"Obito." Addressing his blood brother gained his attention immediately, despite the low volume he used. "Tell Naruto that we're going to be a bit longer than we thought and that his team will find him once they're finished. Then, head to the I.T. Department and send out a flock of birds to get a lay of the land."

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Obito nodded and stepped out of the room. There was a soft argument on the other side of the doors, likely between Naruto and Obito, which Kakashi mostly ignored. He instead closed his eyes to gather his thoughts.

"Kakashi, what's going on? Where is he taking Naruto?" Sasuke asked. His question unintentionally disrupted Kakashi's thought process. "Why was he even detained when we got here? Why-?"

"Sasuke!" The boy straightened when the Commander addressed him with a firm commanding tone. "Things are going to change very quickly in a very bad way. I need you stop asking questions, I need you to trust me, and right now, I need you to do one thing: Tell. Me. What. Happened."

* * *

 **~Days Ago – Orochimaru's Underground Lair~**

 _After following his aura for a few days, Kurama and I found Haku in a holding cell outside the main lab and swiftly subdued the hired grunts that were fitting him with some sort of collar. I think they worked for the Huang family. Once Haku was freed and mostly sober, we ventured through the underground until we came across a metal door._

"Well, as if this wasn't cliché enough already," Kurama said flatly. He looked at the impromptu team leader and a red brow arched above his Pineley's. "And this belongs to the man you thought could make you stronger?"

"Kurama, do me a favor?" Sasuke asked while he pulled out Amaterasu and black arcs of aura danced along the blade. He stabbed the sword into the door and sent a shock through the system.

"Depends on the favor." Kurama grinned slyly.

"Shut up." Sasuke grunted as he turned the handle of his blade and then pulled Amaterasu from the door. The metal door then creaked open to reveal a dark room. Sasuke looked at his teammates, who looked back at him with bemused faces.

"Well, after you, fearless leader." Kurama offered, gesturing with his hand.

"What's wrong, Scaredy-Fox? Afraid of the dark?" Sasuke shot back.

"Nope." Kurama lowered his sunglasses and the small amount of light in the hallway made his menacing red eyes gain a small glow. "Best perk of Faunus-hood. I have built in night vision."

"I'm still recovering from being drugged." Haku deadpanned when Sasuke looked at him. The second-in-command rolled his eyes and sheathed Amaterasu, but kept his hand on the hilt.

"Times like this I wish the idiot were here. He makes a great meat shield." Sasuke muttered as he walked into the dark room.

"So true." Kurama wistfully sighed as he thought back over some of the quick post-prank escapes he and Naruto had made whilst growing up. He looked around and narrowed his eyes. "There's a light switch on the far wall."

"Then you go turn it on, Mr. Night-vision. We're not bumbling around in the dark for your amusement," Sasuke said dryly.

Kurama huffed. "Naruto would've done it."

"Naruto can take a point-blank shot from an anti-tank rifle and then walk it off. Considering we don't know what sort of traps are in here, we can't afford any risks." Haku pointed out.

"Killjoy." Kurama grumbled as he made his way over to the switch. "You take pride in killing all my fun? Just put all my fun in camps, why don't you? You freakin' Fun Nazi."

"...What's a Nazi?" Haku asked, looking at Sasuke. The impromptu leader shrugged.

"Some insult Kurama just made up," he said. Sasuke rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think it's a spin off of douchebag."

"Has he always made up insults on the fly, or is this something new?"

"Nah, he used to do it all the time. Now he only does when he's somewhat bored. We did have to watch you take free drink after free drink, you know."

"And I had to suffer the vulgar offers from the patrons."

"Ah, touché."

The lights flicked on and, after their vision adjusted, the three boys looked around the spacious room. Beakers, bottles and other signs of a mad scientist's presence were spread across multiple tables, with notes and formulas written along the walls. Kurama whistled lowly as he rejoined the group, his hidden eyes locked on a table to the left that had humanoid remains of the fresh sort set across it.

"I can't even tell if that's Human or Faunus. We got some real Dr. Jyde-ian shit going on here."

"Let's see if we can't find some more clues as to who is behind this and what they're up to," Sasuke said as he lead his team from the chemical lab to a door that had a plaque beside it. The plaque read: 'Sub-Level Two: Experiment Keep' with an arrow below the words pointing down. Opening the door revealed stairs that lit up with a flickering light.

"...Do you guys feel like you've seen this before in a horror movie, or is it just me?" Haku asked.

" _Eve of the Walkers_ ," Sasuke said.

" _Slashed – The Cursed Campground_ ," Kurama said.

"Thought so." Haku sighed forlornly. He looked at Sasuke. "After you."

"Have I already mentioned I wish that Naruto was here?" Sasuke wondered as he began his trek down the flight of stairs.

"Yes, because he has worth as a Meat Shield." Kurama nodded.

"Not to mention he's not afraid of anything that isn't a ghost or an angry girl," Sasuke said.

"What's wrong, Sasuke? You feeling a little _scared_?" Kurama teased.

"I don't _get_ scared." Sasuke scowled. "I get unnerved. And right now, I am _greatly_ unnerved."

"Whatever you say, Fearless Leader."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as they made it down the second flight of stairs and went through the door that awaited them. The light was already on and the room had more cages set off to the side. All of the cells were empty, save the last one. A lone figure sat within it, shivering lightly and muttering to itself. The figure wore a dirty straightjacket that had an equally dirty balaclava attached to it.

"Holy crap, we have a live one." Sasuke muttered as he and his teammates made their way over to the shivering form. A few steps into the room, however, and a yellow siren started to flash while an alarm blared. Two previously hidden metal doors were exposed as the walls that concealed them slid up. The three teens went on the defensive as vicious snarls and snorts came from the two doors.

"Remember how you said you wished Naruto were here?" Kurama asked as the bolts on the doors released and the metal hinges creaked softly. The animalistic sounds stopped and two pairs of heavy footfalls came to either door.

"Yeah?" Sasuke nodded, his voice low, and his hand tightly gripping Amaterasu's hilt. Kurama shifted Ri Kudo into its spear form and rolled his shoulders while Haku prepared Snowfall's rapid-fire mode.

"I do, too."

"...Oh, crapbaskets." Haku muttered as the two previously hidden prisoners stepped out of their cells. Both were bipedal, and possibly once Human or Faunus, but now they were more animal than they were either of the previous two species.

One was a rhinoceros with a sweat-stained tank top, camouflaged pants and combat boots that strained to remain around his feet. He was heavy-set, but filled with muscle. He snorted and wiped at his head, a good splash of sweat being sent to the floor.

"Ohh, man, how long's it been since we been out, Bop?"

The question was aimed at the other animal-man. This one was more like a tusked pig, like a Borbatusk but more human –

* * *

"Warthog." Kurama interjected dryly. "He was a fucking warthog, you dumbass."

"Piss off, Kurama. Excuse me for skipping out on Zoology One-Oh-One." Sasuke grunted.

"Don't worry, I know why you didn't go. You could've discovered what real balls looked like and felt the need to compensate."

"Fuck you."

"Fuck _me_? No, fuck _you_!"

"Boys!" Kakashi interjected firmly. Kurama and Sasuke looked away, the latter releasing a gentle cough into his fist before he continued recapping the train of events.

* * *

He looked like a _warthog_ with a short purple mohawk that protruded from his head. A red leather jacket strained to fit around his torso's girth, with matching red sneakers and dark slacks suffering the same fate. Though he also had a fair amount of muscle visible on his form.

"Hell if I know, Rocky." The warthog-man, Bop, pulled out a pair of purple wraparound visor-sunglasses and used them to cover his small eyes. The rhino-man, Rocky, cracked his neck as Bop focused his attention on the three huntsmen in training. "But I think I know who to thank."

"Uh-oh! I don't recognize you _boys_. You know what that means, Bop?" Rocky grinned and punched his left hand into his right. The knuckles cracked on impact.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Snake Man said to turn any intruders back into Dust," Bop said with a laugh and a snort. He ran his hands over his head, straightening his Mohawk up as he did.

"Bringing the Mohawk back, huh? Good for you." Kurama teased with a raised thumb. Haku and Sasuke looked at him, which caused him to shrug. "Idiot's not here, and he'd say something stupid like that."

"Fair enough." Both Sasuke and Haku conceded. They raised their weapons defensively, Haku falling back to cover from afar.

"Hey, check it, Rocky! They got toys!" Bop grinned. He reached over his shoulder and tapped the handle of a metal bat. "We got toys, too!"

"Yeah, but thanks to the boss, We don't need 'em to kill you little pricks!" Rocky snarled as he charged forward. Kurama met his charge with a rush, his spear raised up at the ready. Rocky ducked under the extended polearm and buried his shoulder into Kurama's gut. The Faunus was driven back first through the rock wall.

Sasuke and Haku shared a glance before they looked at Bop. The warthog-man rolled his head and then held his hands up, beckoning them.

"Yeah, no." A twist of the wrist and Sasuke held Amaterasu in its bow form. "Frostbite!"

"Right!" Haku nodded and stepped back into a mirror. Bop snarled.

"Chicken shit-little-Hey! Careful with that, punk! You could've hit me!" The warthog snorted as he avoided an arrow fired his way.

Sasuke smirked and knocked back another arrow. "That's the idea, dipshit."

"Oh, it's on now." Bop snarled and stamped his foot before he charged. Sasuke smirked and his arrow sparked with black lightning. The arrow was released just as Bop jumped up with his left arm raised a good foot away from Sasuke.

* * *

In the recently made room, a dazed Kurama had been pulled onto Rocky's massive shoulders in a reverse fireman's carry. The rhino-man had wrapped his arms over one of Kurama's legs and around the Faunus' neck. Rocky pulled his arms in, thus overexerting Kurama's spine.

The Faunus reacted accordingly with a drawn out cry of pain.

"Heh! Little good that Faunus flexibility does for ya, eh freak?" Rocky jeered as he jumped around in a circle, driving his shoulders into Kurama's spine and bruising the areas he had his arms wrapped around.

It was to this sight that Haku popped out of his ice mirror. The former dark hunter apprentice silently made his way to where Ri Kudo had been discarded. He picked the spear up and whistled sharply to get Rocky's attention. The Rhino-man stopped his abuse of the Faunus, but did not let him go. Instead, he grinned and pulled down on Kurama, who groaned at his back's pain.

"Hey, cutie. Why not ditch the zero and get with the hero?" Rocky asked. Haku simply smiled and closed his eyes.

"Because for one, I'm a boy." Rocky's grin didn't change in the slightest. "And two, I don't like it when others hurt my friends."

"What this?" Rocky pulled again and Kurama's back let out a soft, but audible, pop. "This isn't anything compared to what I'm gonna do next!"

"I figured as much." Haku sighed. Quick as a whip, Haku spun Ri Kudo around in his hand and threw it at Rocky. The spear stabbed through Rocky's thigh and elicited a roar of pain from the rhino-man's mouth. Haku then pulled Snowfall up and whispered a single word.

"Frostbite."

Kurama, more than aware of the world around him, took advantage of Rocky's injury and pulled the arm around his throat up to his mouth. With a ferocity seen only in a cornered animal, he quickly sunk his teeth as deep into the rhino's forearm as he could get.

It was enough to force the rhino-man to release him in the form of a throw. Kurama landed in a roll and quickly righted himself. He spat the chunk of flesh he'd ripped out and grimaced.

"Barely broke through the fucker's hide, let alone his aura." Kurama growled as he rubbed at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I will do the rest." Haku pulled the trigger of his weapon and held it down, the semi-automatic going full out as dust needles fired in bursts of six. The strangely colored gems quickly and effectively pierced through Rocky's torso. This continued until Snowfall was emptied entirely.

"Y-You think...You think this will...Stop me?! D-Don't you know...what I am!?" Rocky snarled. He pulled Kurama's spear from his thigh and discarded it to the side. The rhino-man began a weak limp forward, his body's movements restricted by the needles that pierced his skin. "I'm a juggernaut, bitch!"

"God, that line sounds so stupid. Fitting, really." Kurama smirked as he got to his feet. "Do it."

Haku nodded and released the trigger he still had pulled down. The needles imbedded throughout Rocky's body started to pulse and glow, which drew the bipedal rhinoceros to a pause. He looked down as well as he could at the needles.

"What the hell?! What's-What're you-What're you doing!?"

"Frostbite, dipshit. First it hurts like a motherfucker, then you'll feel nothing." Kurama grimaced and crossed his arms while Haku watched impassively. The Fox Faunus' tail flicked in annoyance. "Before the boom, tell me this: Were you Human or Faunus before the experiments done on you?"

Rocky sneered for a moment before he grinned. "You think I'll tell you? You think _I'll_ tell _you_!? I ain't the brightest crayon in the drawer, but I'm not stupid enough to tell you jack shit, you filthy animal!"

"I'd feel insulted, if you weren't basically the toy of a man with the fetish for anthropomorphic animals." Kurama deadpanned. He lifted a hand up to shield his eyes as the needles burst with a massive explosion. After the smoke cleared, Kurama looked at Haku in disapproval. "Ice dust...Really?"

"We're in an enclosed space, I wasn't about to use the explosive Dust."

"Yeah, but...Really?"

"...Shut up." Haku grumbled as he stalked out past the frozen form of Rocky. Kurama followed him and plucked his spear from the ground as he walked by it. The Faunus paused to soak in the frozen form of the strange experiment.

"...If you really tried, I'm sure one day you'd make a great masseuse," Kurama said to his frozen foe. He walked out of the room and arched a brow while he sniffed the air. "What smells like charred dumpster bacon?"

"Better question, how do you know what that smells like?" Sasuke asked flatly from where he stood beside the cell that held the dirty prisoner.

"Touché, douche bag." Kurama sniped with a smirk as he shifted Ri Kudo back to its staff form. The three teens turned their attention to the captured man and frowned. Kurama spoke next, his arms crossed. "So, what do we do with him?"

* * *

"To make a long story short, we busted the prisoner out and hightailed it back here," Sasuke said. He watched his former teacher with narrowed eyes, the man across from him betrayed nothing, not that he ever did. If anything, Kakashi looked... _disappointed_.

"...That's it? That's how you decide to end your debriefing?" Kakashi huffed and crossed his arms. "How anticlimactic. If I were anymore a stickler for rules and regulations, I'd ask for written accounts in triplicate."

"But then you'd have to read all of the accounts, three times for each copy," Kurama said with a sly grin.

"Exactly! Which is why I could give two shits about written reports." Kakashi nodded sagely. He sat back and pulled his favorite book out. He cracked it open and waved the three boys off. "Good job! Go find your team leader and enjoy the rest of the day and tomorrow. The day after, I'll have something else for you."

"By your leave, _Commander_." Sasuke grumbled sourly as he got up and walked out. Kurama snickered while Haku kept a stoic face up, both nodding before they left the room.

As soon as the door shut, Kakashi looked up from his book. There was a glisten in his eye, a small gleam of pride radiating from his form.

 _Enjoy the peace while it lasts, boys. For it won't last long._

* * *

Of all the places Kurama, Haku and Sasuke could've found Naruto at, they certainly didn't expect to find him at a small, quaint tavern whose name had long since faded off the building, but started with an 'F'. The whiskered blond was in the midst of entertaining a few of the regular patrons and the barkeep with tales of Beacon Academy, only stopping when he spotted his team approaching. He then left the bar with a few good-natured jabs sent at him on account of his cliffhanger, before he met up with his team at a small table in the middle of the tavern.

"Before we start anything, just know that Yang wishes you all the sorest of black eyes," Naruto said cheerfully, the flush on his face showing he'd already had more than enough drinks to get him tipsy. He whistled at the passing waitress and raised his hand. "Bring round four mugs of the strong stuff, an' keep it coming!"

"Yes, sir!" The woman laughed as she filled the order. Naruto then turned to his surprised teammates and raised a brow.

"What?"

"Why are you in a rush to kill your liver?" Kurama asked bluntly. Naruto barked out a laugh, and slammed his hand on the table.

"Ah, that's a good one." Naruto wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm not drinkin' all of it! We're drinkin'! Together! To celebrate the Pervy Old Toad!"

A rousing cheer and raised glasses echoed in the bar following the blond's toast.

"Naruto, I think you're supposed to drink yourself blind _before_ you sob yourself unconscious on a girl's shoulder," Sasuke said dryly. Naruto scoffed at him and gave him the bird.

"First of all, _Ass_ , uncalled for! Secondly, like I _said_ , we're _celebrating_ the Pervy Old Toad. Not mourning. I did that already, and it's not fun," Naruto said with a small frown. He gained a grin as the tavern girl, who was blessed with a chest and a mighty booty, set the drinks before them. Naruto put a lien card on the table. "Thanks! Get yourself a drink or save it for another day."

"Sure thing, cutie." The girl winked as she slipped the card into her cleavage before she walked away with a sway in her step. Naruto paid it no mind, but Haku and Sasuke stared dead on at the action and then looked at the lightly flushed blond. Kurama arched a brow.

"...Okay, what did you do to make her so enthralled?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked at his second-in-command as if he'd whipped out a trout and slapped the whiskered boy with it.

"Wha-? Dude, I _have_ a girlfriend! And unlike your stupidly sexy ass, I am happy with just my Yangel. Even if you guys stole me away for some bullshit reason," Naruto said, grumbling the last bit to himself as he picked up the new mug and sipped down the drink. He put the mug down on the table and grinned. "Ahh, that hits the spot."

"So what brought up the sudden urge to celebrate Jiraiya?" Kurama asked, deciding to ignore the outraged-slash-jealous-slash-annoyed glare Sasuke was sending Naruto's way. "What, were you named his heir to lead a foreign land's military might?"

"...Whoa, Kurama are you Puh-psy-chick?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide.

"...Are you telling us that Jiraiya was the leader of a foreign land?"

"...I...don't know. Pretty sure I'm not allowed to, especially since I'm leaving tomorrow for training." Naruto squinted his eyes as the look in his eye darkened. The memory of Sun's ass for a grandfather calling him out was fresh in his mind. He looked up from the mug in his hands at Haku when the boy suddenly started to cough. "You okay, Haku?"

"I think I just drank liquid fire!" The androgynous boy rasped out between coughs. He raised his hand and pointed at his mug. "Something not as strong, please!"

"Pussy." Kurama, Naruto, and Sasuke scoffed before they each took a swig of their drinks. Kurama and Sasuke's eyes shot wide and they both suffered the same fate as their girlish-featured-friend. Naruto scowled around at his friends.

"Seriously? Ugh, you guys are so going to be screwed when I leave."

"Where-" Sasuke covered his mouth with a fist and then pounded his chest while he forced back the tears that bit at his eyes. Damn, that _was_ liquid fire! "Where are you going?"

"To a galaxy far, far away, a long time ago..." Naruto said with wiggling fingers for added 'mystical' effect.

"You said it wrong again." Kurama deadpanned.

"Fuck you and your stupid sci-fi!" Naruto spat out with his tongue extended. "You only like _Galactic Conflict_ because it promoted Faunus to more than secondary character roles!"

"Unlike your stupid racist _Conquest of Dominion_ series!"

"You take that back! _Conquest of Dominion_ is awesome!"

"And racist!"

"Well no shit!" Naruto snorted. "Humanity _sucked_ when it came to that stuff! Totally fucked Faunus over! But that's not the focus of the series!"

"No just politics, violence and fucking!" Kurama snapped. He took another drink and shook his head. He would not succumb to the burn. "Although, it's still way better than the crap perv-boy reads."

"If you just read it-!"

"I did, and it helped me get through my preteens!"

"I-It is _not_ juvenile!"

"Just horrendously immature."

"He's got a point there."

"I though we were talking about the idiot leaving! Why are we bashing on my books!?"

"Because that's way more fun," Haku said with a cheeky smile. He thanked the busty girl as she replaced his drink and leered at her departure. He returned his attention to the table when she disappeared around the corner. "And Naruto's not leaving for good, right?"

"No, man, like a week. Maybe two. Tops." Naruto nodded firmly.

"There, see?" Haku smiled at Sasuke, who scowled.

"...Fine...But no more ragging on my books."

"Not our fault you're a perv with a librarian fetish."

"Kurama!"

"What? It's not."

The four broke down into a heated debate over what was and was not good taste in literature, all the while sending good-natured barbs at one another. The next day would mean the brief separation of Team NHKS once more. For now, however, they'd enjoy each other's company and cement the strength of their bonds with one another.

* * *

 **AN: Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it?! Well, it's been another year on this planet for me officially. Knockin' up the big two-three tree! Whoot!**

 **And, before you ask, yes. I have a small omake. But the size doesn't matter, it's the quality.**

 **NOTE: I do not own "Hobbit Drinking Song" – by Billy Boyd**

* * *

 **OMAKE: CHIBI NHKS – A Fairly Entertaining Tale**

* * *

"Okay, you sure you're up to this, Haku?" A flushed short and stocky Naruto asked. Beside him, an equally plastered Kurama sat, holding his mug while grinning eagerly.

"I _am_ Vacoan, Naruto. Of course I'm up for this." Haku scoffed, slightly insulted by the insinuation. "It's not just a Kon thing. Every Vacoan does this."

"Damn straight we do! Because we're not just the outcasts of the world, we're the best that Remnant has to offer!" Kurama cheered. Sasuke kicked his shin under the table.

"Shut up! Lets do this, and start – _in time_!" the onyx eyed boy glared at his team leader, who waved him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Ready?" Naruto asked, grinning. The three boys nodded and waited for a moment before they began to thump their mugs to the table. The tavern quieted and the boys let out a unified chorus.

"Oh, you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole world dry! But you'll never find a beer so brown as the one we drink in our hometown!"

The patrons cheered their drinks as the four boys climbed atop their chairs and continued their drunk-induced song. The four pointed at nearby patrons as they continued with the next line.

"You can keep your fancy ales, you can drink 'em by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and tru-u-ue, comes from the Grimm Dragon!"

They finished their lines and knocked mugs before they downed their drinks. Naruto hopped over to stand atop the bar and gained the attention of the crowd. He stomped his foot in rhythm that their audience soon matched with claps, stomps or bangs of their own, before he began to sing.

" _Hey, ho, to the bottle I go, to heal my heart and drown my woe! Rain may fall and wind may blow, but there still be-e-e many miles to go!_ "

The tavern's occupants cheered as Naruto took a swig of his mug. Kurama hopped over to the bar to join Naruto, throwing his arm over the blond's shoulder.

" _Sweet as the sound of the pouring rain, and the stream that falls from the hills to plain! Better than rain or rippling brook, is a mug of beer inside this Kook!_ "

Kurama finished his line and knocked his mug with Naruto's before he downed a swig of his own. Sasuke climbed atop their table and steadied himself before he continued.

" _Strange and dark is the world outside, but in the pub we've naught to hide! With lots of ale and barley wine, this evenin' is surpassin' fine!_ "

Those with drinks in hands all cheered at Sasuke's lines, Naruto and Kurama included, as the last Uchiha downed his drink with a heavy gulp. Haku climbed atop a neighbor's table and grinned.

" _Harvest's in and cold without, an' Huntsmen strong are Huntsmen stout! Naught to fear and naught to think, for Huntsmen now-w-w have ale to drink!_ "

The tavern roared in approval as Haku finished his line. The compact hero took a long swig of his drink before the whole crowd joined in to finish off the tavern song.

" _The Sunshine lays right down to sleep,_

 _To slumber long and slumber deep!_

 _Hushed be Hunter, lass and lad,_

 _With faces plump and faces glad!_

 _A land of peace and a small dirt hole,_

 _And a pouch o' Dust for us to roll!_

 _Never Falter! Never Fear!_

 _For Vacuo-o-o will always be here!_ "

* * *

 **Hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me,**

 **Now you all know what I want to see!**

 **RELOVETHEOGJOURNEY!**


	39. Gonna Need A Montage

**AN: Hey you lovely readers! Man, two months and then some have passed since I've updated this story, or any other, outside of the readings. Reason for that being we've had a death in the family and I've been grieving.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXVIII: Gonna Need A Montage**

* * *

The tower of Beacon Academy stood tall and proud, it's pure exterior reflected the bright sunlight of the day. Students of Vale and their guests were all eager to lose themselves in the beautiful day. Especially since it was the weekend and students were granted reprieve from vast amounts of homework in lieu of the upcoming Vytal Festival.

However, not all were thrilled to have such a day.

"I'm. So. Bored!" Nora Valkyrie groaned from where she sat upside down on her best friend's bed. Ren hummed and turned the page of his book.

"You could always go join Pyrrha and Jaune in their training," he suggested.

"While I _love_ smacking Jaune around like a punching bag, I can't bring myself to break up the OTP." Nora nodded firmly as she crossed her arms. "Pyrrha has to make a move, and she _won't_ do that with witnesses."

"I don't think she'll be able to do that _without_ witnesses." Ren deadpanned. He licked the tip of his finger and turned another page. "Then why not go seek out Team RWBY or their friends from Mistral?"

"They're all training..." Nora groaned. She flipped backwards off the bed and landed on her feet to stand in front of Ren with her hands on her hips. "Although, Ruby's said that Yang's seemed a bit...off. Maybe you should cheer her up with some pancakes!"

Ren looked up from his book and stared at the grinning girl dryly.

"Nora. I'm not making anymore pancakes until _tomorrow_." His words made the orange-haired girl grovel at his feet.

"But _why!?_ Why have you forsaken me the food of the gods!?" Nora wailed as she nuzzled her head against her best friend's legs. Ren paused and was about to reply when he heard a faint boom. Ren looked towards the window with furrowed brows.

"What is that?" He wondered, his pink eyes squinted as he tried to determine what the distant object he spotted. Nora popped up beside him from where she groveled and squinted her eyes. Her smile returned brightly.

"I think it's a Bullhead!"

"No, those would be larger, even from this distance. Perhaps it's just a bird." Ren mused. He went to his desk and began to dig around in the drawer for his binoculars. He returned with the item in hand and held them up to his eyes. "I wonder what type it is."

"It's getting closer! It's _got_ to be a Bulkhead." Nora pointed out smugly.

Ren looked at her dryly before he resumed his examination. His brow furrowed as the distant object continued to get larger. Almost as if it was moving towards them. But that's ludicrous! What would fly towards Beacon knowing that Beacon was there, risking the damage to itself and the school?

"...I don't think it's either..." Ren mused. "In fact...I think...It's a..."

"A what? A _what_!? The suspense is killing me, Ren!" Nora cried out as she grabbed her friend by his arm and shook him. "Tell me what it is already! Is it a Bullhead?! A bird!? What is it!? Speak boy!"

"I think ...it's a bowl."

"...That's just silly!" Nora pushed her friend away with a snort. "Come on, what would a _bowl_ be doing flying towards _Beacon_?"

Before Ren could answer her, the Unidentified Flying Object smashed through the window and brained Nora in the side of her head. Noodles and broth splattered onto the floor and in Nora's hair. Ren set his binoculars down and looked at his dazed friend with amusement.

"Nora," he said. "I think Naruto disagrees with you."

* * *

Moments earlier, Naruto was giddily rushing past the people who inhabited his deceased godfather's mountain. Behind him, calmly followed a slightly smiling Fukasaku. The old sage received nods and smiles from those he passed. Oh, they smiled and nodded at Naruto as well, but he was far too focused on his destination to return the pleasantries as he normally would.

Fukasaku found the sight amusing, recalling Minato's and even _Jiraiya's_ own rush to eat after they first touched Natural Energy. Like his godfather, Jiraiya, and his father, Minato, Naruto was someone who did not quit. Take small breaks in order to think about the problem, maybe, but he never once quit. The old sage was proud of his progress and impressed by the child of Minato and Kushina. Naruto had dove right into the first stage of Sage Training as soon as he arrived, but any headway seemed to hit a wall once the first step began.

It was expected, of course, but Fukasaku initially underestimated just how difficult Naruto found the first step. He failed to realize that his student was a boy filled to the absolute _brim_ with energy. Naruto expected to be asked to perform impossible tasks, such as moving a mountain or swimming in a rampaging river. He'd even brought up the thought of defeating massive toads in hand-to-hand combat, which had earned him an odd look, a firm blow to the head and a chiding insult.

Not once did the thought that he'd be asked to _meditate_ ever cross the son of Minato's mind.

The very least that Fukasaku was grateful for, was that Naruto's energy was matched in spades by his headstrong determination. He _refused_ to take any breaks until he made some sort of advancement. Naruto struggled for _days_ to clear his mind of any wayward thought, to keep _absolutely_ still and become one with Remnant. The slightest distraction, a sound in the distance or nearby, caused him to break from any focus he might have had and lose whatever connection there might have been.

It was frustrating for both of them, as it only lengthened what was supposed to be the 'easy' first step.

Until an hour ago, that is, when Naruto finally managed to form a link with Remnant.

Fukasaku felt as though a weight had fallen off of his shoulders. Finally, they could move onto the next stage: Balance. Now that a connection was made, Naruto would have to find the perfect amount of energy he could take from Remnant before it consumed him.

Fukasaku gripped his staff tightly and chuckled at memories of his previous two students. Oh, the hotheaded son of Minato and Kushina wouldn't enjoy this next exercise in the slightest. Jiraiya sure as hell didn't.

Naruto was oblivious to his teacher's amusement, already seated at the stand that served Oum's glorious gift to Remnant and inhaling his second bowl like a starved man. The blond's bowl was stacked atop the previous one, and he banged his fist on the counter while he struggled momentarily to swallow the lump in his throat. A good thwack to the back freed his passageway and Naruto sighed in relief.

"Stubborn kid, how can you learn to be a Sage if you don't learn to chew your food?" The chef asked in bemusement. He was another old fellow, with fading blond hair and a braided moustache. His build was tall and strong, but he had a limp in his step as he returned to his kitchen, courtesy of the peg that acted in place of his right foot.

"Hehehe, I can't help myself! This is good stuff! Borderline Ichiraku!" Naruto praised the cook's work. He clapped his hands together, holding them over his head. "Can I have another?"

The chef leveled him with a hard look before he let out a belly-shaking laugh.

"Sure thing, kid! Just try to remember to chew. It won't do me any good to have the next Sage die on my stool because he couldn't swallow his noodles," the chef said. He turned around to ready another bowl. "Had I known you'd need more than two bowls, I wouldn't have let my trainee go on break. Going to be a couple of minutes."

"That's fine. I've got plenty of time," Naruto said with a shrug. He looked over at Fukasaku with an unsure smile. "Right?"

"..." Fukasaku leveled him with a stare and pursed lips, his eyes narrowed in thought. Finally, after what felt like forever, he let out a sigh and nodded. "You may have the day. We shall continue tomorrow, early."

"Awesome!" Naruto whooped as Fukasaku walked away. He then patted at his pockets and paled. "Oh no... My wallet is back at the temple."

He slumped forward and his head slammed into the counter with a loud thud.

"Aw, man...There goes Ramen day..." Naruto muttered sourly. He folded his arms under his chin and pouted slightly as he started a thousand yard stare. _Not to mention that because of the Mountain's location, my Scroll has no connection whatsoever. Yeah, the occasional news report gets through, but I can't make a call._

"I got'cha covered, handsome."

Naruto looked to his left to find a girl setting a few cards of lien on the counter. He had to do a double take and his jaw popped open. He initially mistook her for his girlfriend, since she was a beautiful buxom blonde and had some noticeable muscle on her.

Unlike Yang, however, the girl had most of her hair cut short (save for the two bangs falling past her shoulders that framed her face) and had two rounded off cat ears atop her head. A white scarf wrapped around her neck and in cooperation with the black tube top, drew attention to her noticeable cleavage. Long baggy pants and combat boots covered her legs and feet, while fingerless gloves protected her hands, and golden wrist-lets with three bone-white ridges protected a portion of her arm.

"Like what you see, Tiger?" The girl asked, giving him a wide, toothy grin. Naruto blinked and shook himself out of the daze her golden eyes had put him in. A sheepish smile crossed his face.

"Well, it's not _un_ pleasant, but sadly, I'm spoken for." The girl's grin didn't lessen in the slightest.

"If they-" " _She_." Naruto interjected firmly. His exploits with the same sex were thus far unknown to the mountain and he didn't want any rumors to go around his age mill if he could stop it. While Sun probably wouldn't care, Sasuke would and Kurama would bury them all with blackmail if it happened.

"If _she_ really likes it, she would put a ring on it." The girl pointed out as she claimed the stool next to his. "Besides, it's not like we're going steady. You think you're hot stuff because I gave you a pet name, Tiger?"

"It's very misleading." Naruto deadpanned.

"Can't help it, it's in my nature. Name's Leone Pryde," the girl said with a bright grin on her face. She offered her hand and Naruto cautiously took it.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The blondes' hands shook once before the girl propped her head up by digging her fist into her cheek.

"Mm, sounds fishy. I don't like that." Leone muttered with pursed lips. She smirked. "I like Tiger more. Suits you better."

"These are scars." Naruto pointed at his whisker marks with a bitter smile. "Not birthmarks."

"They're sexy whatever they are. And you've got the whole orange and black thing going for you," Leone said with a smile that lasted for all of a second. Her pupils suddenly dilated into slits and she let out a low growl while her ears turned back. As soon as the full bowl of ramen was set before her, she took it in one hand and turned to fling it off into the air.

"Did...Did you just _throw_ a bowl of Ramen?" Naruto asked, horrified. He was momentarily distracted by the action his fellow blonde took, so much so that he almost missed her reaching to take _his_ bowl of ramen. Almost. Naruto defended his meal with an angered snarl, curled around it protectively. He would not let this Ramen defiler ruin his beloved meal!

"Someone had the gall to say some other food was _better_ than Ramen. They had to be educated otherwise." Leone snorted.

And with those words, any potential amnesty between the two was gone.

"Oh, that makes sense. I wonder who would be stupid enough to speak such blasphemy- _Nora_! Of course!" Naruto declared as he stacked his now empty third bowl atop the previous two. He scowled and glared at the counter while Leone paid for two more bowls with a couple more cards of lien.

"That your girlfriend's name?" Leone asked curiously. Naruto shook his head.

"Nah, Nora's a friend from Beacon. She's got an obsession with pancakes for some reason." They both snorted at the absurdity of it before they dove face-first into the bowls set before them. When they finished and pushed their bowls aside, Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Must've been dropped on the head at the breakfast table or something."

"Poor girl." Leone sighed. "I'll have to kill her so she doesn't dishonor the Ramen anymore than she already has."

"Yeah-Er, wait, no. Don't do that. She's wrong about what is the Heavenly Food, but it is our duty as Ramen-tics that we convert her to our side. Hell, I even started to get Yang into the glory that is Ramen. Sly girl seduced me with it more than once..." Naruto drifted off with a smile on his face as he became lost in her memories.

Leone arched a brow.

"I take it this Yang is your poor girlfriend, then?" she asked, overly casually.

"Yeah...Hey, Yang's not a poor girlfriend-!" Naruto's annoyed defense was cut short by the amused smirk sent his way. He froze in his seat when a fine fingernail gently stroked over his whisker mark.

"Like I said, if she likes it, she should put a ring on it, Tiger." Leone purred softly as she leaned into Naruto's space. She grinned and began actively petting the marks, watching Naruto's eyes become half-lidded by the affectionate touches. "That, or collar you and chain you up in her backyard. Or lock you in a room until she got your bun in her oven."

"Don't...want to be...a parent...oh god, please stop..." Naruto whimpered at the gentle touches being applied to his scars. He was sensitive there, something that Yang has thankfully managed to _not_ figure out yet. His head turned into Leone's hand and his eyes drifted shut while pleasurable tingles went down his spine. He leaned further out of his seat to follow the touches until her hand swiftly pulled away and he plummeted to the ground.

"All the more reason to get that oven bun-ified." Leone laughed at Naruto's awkward position she lured him into. She pulled the next bowl of Ramen close and casually drank it down. And once that bowl was empty, she snatched the bowl set in front of Naruto's seat.

"Hey!" Naruto protested the act. He shot up to his feet to give the girl a piece of his mind in regards to stealing his Ramen when Leone smirked at him.

"What? I paid for it," she cheekily said to him.

Naruto's argument died instantly on his lips. Still heated, he sat back down in his stool with an annoyed pout. The pout disappeared as another bowl was set in front of him. Grateful eyes turned to the smirking chef.

"Good sir...Your kindness knows no bounds." Naruto began, speaking from the bottom of his heart as he took the bowl of ramen and held it aloft like it was a sacred relic. "I shall treasure the half second it took me to eat this bowl of ramen always."

"For the love of the Creator, kid, I told you to chew!" The chef cried out in awe at the sight of the instantly vacant bowl. He didn't see the kid move and he knew for a fact that he didn't blink! How'd he eat the bowl so fast?!

"And I did! Why not say anything to her? She's downing hers even faster than I am!" Naruto said whilst he gestured at Leone, who was in the process of licking her bowl dry. She stopped when she realized she was being addressed.

"Oh, that's because I don't have a gag reflex." Leone shrugged and resumed the slow, but rewarding task of cleaning the bowl for all that it's worth.

"That makes perfect-I'm sorry you don't have a what now?" Naruto asked as soon as his brain processed her claim. He immediately lost himself to a fantasy so fiendishly foul that even Jiraiya would've been hesitant to peek in on it if he could have.

Needless to say, it involved a massive bowl of Ichiraku Ramen and _three_ blondes instead of the by now normal two.

* * *

Yang suddenly stilled as she was overwhelmed with a sudden (and notably _bizarre_ ) urge to throttle someone. A big chested, blonde haired someone that had eyes for a Ramen loving fool. Odd, though, she could've sworn she was pretty much the only one she knew who fell under that description.

So wrapped up in her confused wrath, Yang's lack of a decent guard caused her to be kicked clear across the training ground. The buxom brawler crashed into the training ground's bleachers, becoming buried in the rubble. Lilac eyes blinked after she shook off the daze.

 _Did I just get laid?_ She wondered. She frowned when she noticed a lack of sweaty, sexy blond boy in her direct vicinity. _Nope. Argh! This sucks! I'm so used to getting action that it's throwing me off of my game! It's only been two weeks!_

Ruby blinked, stupefied by the clear shot she managed to get in on her older sister. She looked over at her teammates, who were equally baffled by the successful blow, before robotically she turned back to the rubble that her sister still lay under, bemoaning the lack of sex life and cursing an absent boyfriend who caused the aforementioned lacking sex life.

"Yang?" Ruby hesitantly called. "You okay?"

"Anyone get the color of that bitch?" Yang called back, sounding a bit groggy. Weiss and Blake immediately shared a look before they raced to the outskirts of the training ground.

"Ruby!" They called over their shoulders as they fled.

Their younger friend-slash-team leader gaped at the blatant betrayal, but before she could call them out on it, Ruby had to quickly slice through a tossed bleacher and stare her glowing sister down.

"Thank you," Yang said as her red eyes locked with Ruby's silver. Her knuckles audibly popped as her fingers curled tighter into the palms of her hands.

"Oh, crapbaskets..." Ruby muttered. She set into a ready and defensive stance, her knees bent and her finger on Crescent Rose's trigger while she raised the weapon slightly. Softly, under her breath, she whispered to her scythe as her sister raced forward. "Protect me, Sweetheart."

Unfortunately for the girl, it didn't.

Yang, still fumed, turned her eyes towards her two other teammates and slowly lifted her hand to point at them. Weiss and Blake jumped into each others arms, wide eyed and shivering, as the red-eyed gaze of their team's powerhouse stayed on them. They swallowed audibly when Yang began to slowly stalk towards them, undoubtedly to relieve some pent up stress.

"Weiss?"

"Yeah, Blake?"

"If I don't make it out of this, I want you to have my Ninjas of Love books."

"I promise not to burn it, but I won't read it."

"That's all I ask."

* * *

While Yang was using her repressed sexual frustration to unleash absolute Hell on her teammates and Naruto was lost in a fantasy that could not be shown for it's sheer graphic nature (on that note: food is not meant to be fun kids, it's meant to be eaten), the rest of Team NHKS were spending time either as part of Kon's border patrol or just relaxing within the village.

Today, for Kurama anyway, it was the latter. He'd taken a quick walk through the village, to soak in the sights, smells and sounds he grew up with before he decided on a whim to pop into a small flower shop.

"Hello and welcome to-Ah, hello Kurama!" A boy about Ruby's age, with brown hair cut like a bowl, glasses and green goggles wrapped around his head, greeted the Faunus. He sniffed up a large dangling line of clear mucus and smiled at the older teen.

"Udon." The fox Faunus gave the boy a half-smile. "Got a part time job, huh?"

"Yeah, well, my condition doesn't let me do much outside of Kon, y'know." Udon shrugged. He had a severe immunity deficiency that had him suffer terrible allergies. On good days, the worst would be the previously mentioned mucus line, which most managed to ignore. On the bad days, Udon would be laid up in bed, and even his mother would find it difficult to make eye contact with the ill boy.

Kurama continued to give him a sympathetic smile. His Semblance was hard to control when he was young, so he often got sick by taking in aura from a plethora of people or giving too much aura whenever he made physical contact with someone (mostly Naruto). Without another word, he gathered a bouquet of pink carnations and took it to the counter, where Udon checked him out.

"How's the Boss?" Udon asked as he took the lien set down as payment. Kurama shrugged.

"Probably raving about Ramen if he's not already half dead from whatever training he's going through."

Udon chuckled. "Sounds like him. Tell him I said hi?"

"He'll probably stop by to visit once he's back in town. Just try to keep up the health, Udon. Tell the rest of the Corps I'm only a scroll call away," Kurama said. He gathered his purchase and walked out of the store with a hand raised in farewell.

The destination wasn't far from the flower shop, but with every step the flowers felt heavier. Kurama eventually came upon a dusty old shop, and through the window saw that it was filled with outdated weapon modifications and Dust crystals that were far from being useful to anyone anytime soon, but still had a glow of life about them. He walked around the corner into an alleyway and continued until he was behind the building.

Three tall slabs of stone were settled along the back, names carved professionally and meticulously in order to withstand time's endless assault on the mineral. Kurama set his bouquet in front of the middle stone and he sat down across from it. He removed his sunglasses and a smile crossed his face. Painfully joyful memories sprang at once to the forefront of his mind, and unbidden tears built up along the rim of his eye.

"Hey, Pops." Kurama croaked out after a long silence. "I'm back. Dammit, wouldn't you know it...Raining, again. What're the odds?"

* * *

 **AN: Yeah...Not much to say here. Naruto's training moves along smoothly. We meet a new friend in the ever expanding cast of characters. Get a peek at Yang's handle on the situation. Then to top it off, a small glimpse at Kurama's mourning.**

 **Y'all know what to do.**

 **RestInPeaceGG**


	40. Siege The Day

**AN: A few things I should note off the bat.**

 **First and foremost, thank you guys for your support and reviews. Reading your reactions, what you liked and enjoyed, or what you miss, helps all writers (or creators in general) make a story that is better, or do better on their next take. Thank you all so much, really.**

 **Second: Most of you did manage to realize that Leone was originally based on the buxom blonde from Akame Ga Kill, but it's surprising that only one reviewer (at the time of writing this) commented on the physical cameo of Chef 'Red Leg' Zeff! Sadly, that one reviewer was a** _ **guest**_ **reviewer, so I can't even give them the props they deserve. (C'mon, people, there's nothing wrong with signing up! It's free! ...I think.)**

 **Finally, to address the JNPR focus...they've un-officially been sidelined. Like Team SSSN, Team JNPR isn't the main focus of** _ **this**_ **story, and unfortunately, while I love them, they're** _ **side**_ **characters. In a purely RWBY-verse fic, or just in the series or the spin-off series in general, there's time and space to give life to those characters. I don't have that, and these characters were given life in a visual medium, so I have to give them small moments that will hopefully make them shine in a believable manner.**

 **(Plus, they're all based off of heroes who inevitably die...So...I hate to be** _ **that**_ **guy, but...think I'm gonna end up being** _ **that**_ **guy. Must keep my distance, for emotional purposes.)**

 **So with that 300-something worded commentary out of the way, let's get this show back on the road!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XXXIX: Siege The Day**

* * *

"Ow. Ow. OW!" Jaune squinted as the damp towel pressed against the cut above his left eye. Another ruckus caused by Team RWBY had distracted Jaune and, since they had been training for quite some time that day, his reserves were down. The natural aura shield gave out just before Pyrrha's last blow, and now he was paying for it.

"Sorry," Pyrrha said as she kept trying to gently clean the wound. "You know, even if your semblance was fully matured, being low on aura wouldn't have prevented this."

"Yeah, but I figured that maybe enough strain would- _OW_!" Jaune pulled away and put his hand over the cut. "What was that?"

"Water." Pyrrha winced. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine." Jaune murmured as he pulled his hand away and closed his eyes. "You're just trying to help. Besides, pain lets me know I'm still alive."

"Nora's lessons aren't exactly the best to use as an example," Pyrrha said with a small smile as she returned to cleaning the wound. Jaune snorted.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make them any less true." He argued.

"Does that mean we'll start having pancakes every morning and join in on her weekend runs?" The redheaded Huntress asked with a wry smile on her face.

"God, no!" Jaune grimaced at the thought. "It's one thing to have the whole school laugh at me getting my butt kicked, it's another to have them laugh when I fail to keep up with my own team."

"Jaune..."

"What? I don't have that kind of endurance, Pyrrha," Jaune said with a resigned sigh. He crossed his arms. "Pain tolerance, _sure_. Endurance? Not so much."

"With that kind of attitude it's hard to see how you'll make any progress." The lighthearted chirp made Jaune jump in his seat. Both he and Pyrrha looked up to see Sun Wukong, the monkey Faunus that they'd seen with Blake more than once, walk towards them with his hands interlaced behind his head and a grin on his face. He lifted the left one slightly in greeting. "Sup, losers?"

"Sun."

The speaker was surprisingly _not_ the blue-haired boy the two often saw at his side, but the dusk-skinned teen with sage-colored hair. Sage, if Jaune remembered the name correctly, gave his team leader an expectant look. Sun's tail swished in a playfully devious manner.

"What's wrong, Sage? Got cold feet?" Sun asked. Sage grunted and the Faunus shrugged. "Whatever, man. You're the one that wanted me to come with you out here."

"I believe your words were 'we are both heading in the same direction'," Sage said with a bit of bite. Sun's grin widened.

"Ah, right. That reminds me," he said, looking back at the Invincible Girl and the Arc. "You guys know which plot Team RWBY is using for training?"

"Probably not the best time to go find them," Jaune said before Pyrrha could answer. He rubbed his finger along the cut on his forehead and pursed his lips. "I will never get over the speed-y healing-thing."

"What do you mean?" Sun asked, his arms dropping to his side.

"Well, I never really unlocked my aura until-Oof!" Jaune grunted when Pyrrha elbowed him sharply in the side. He sent her a small frown. "What was that for?"

"I _believe_ ," Pyrrha began, her jaw set and her brow furrowed in slight annoyance, "That Sun is wondering why you said it was a bad time to speak with Team RWBY. Not inquiring about your awe over aura's healing capabilities."

"... _Ohh_ , yeah, that does make more sense." Jaune nodded and looked back at the amused Sun and the stern-faced Sage. "Well, you know how Team NHKS was sent back home, right?"

"What!? Why!? Did someone find out about the Drunken Raid!?" Sun asked in alarm. Sage clapped his hand over his face and let out a groan. Jaune and Pyrrha looked between the two, bewildered.

"Uh...No?" Jaune shook his head slowly. Sun let out a large breath and his shoulders sagged in relief.

"Oh thank god. Wait... if they didn't find out about the raid, then why did they go back to Vacuo?" Sun asked, confused.

"Well, if you ask Nora, they just decided to drop out because Naruto couldn't handle the fact that pancakes were better than his ramen." Jaune rolled his eyes. "Which is ludicrous because Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Cereal is the greatest thing to ever exist."

"Agreed." Sage nodded, earning a pair of bizarre looks from both Pyrrha and Sun.

"...Huh, and here I always thought you were a vegetarian. Wait, is that why you always sneak off early in the morning!?" Sun asked, a wide grin spreading across his face. Sage's cheeks tinted just slightly and he turned away as Sun began to laugh. "Oh, man! That's so...dude! I'm not going to judge you-!"

"But Scarlet and Neptune will." Sage muttered.

"Ah, don't worry about them. They're ...delusional. Or misguided. Hm, perhaps mis-lusional? Or De-guided? ...Mis-lusional sounds better..." Sun decided with a nod of his head. He looked back at Jaune expectantly. "Anyway, you were telling me why I shouldn't go talk to Bl-Team RWBY?"

"Long story short: Yang's frustrated. _Really_ frustrated. Like, my third-oldest sister level frustrated." Jaune shuddered and rubbed his arm. "And I think that's being a bit generous."

"Third-oldest?" Sun repeated, his eyes wide. "How many sisters do you ha-?"

"Seven."

"W...Wow...That's...Um..." Sage blinked several times. Sun whistled in astonishment.

"Man, your dad's either _really_ virile or your mom is, like, _super_ fertile." Sun tilted his head in thought. "Though, considering that makes you one of eight, I'm guessing a bit of both. Then again, there could be twins or triplets or the rare quartet-let. And now I can't help but think of all the sessions it took to make that happen! That's got to be what? Three? Four tries per kid? _Damn_."

"SUN!" Sage gaped at his team's leader while Jaune and Pyrrha flushed red enough to surpass the latter's hair color in intensity.

"What? It's a compliment!" Sun saw the reactions he got and threw his hands up. "Gah, _see_? This is why I stowaway to other kingdoms! I'm surrounded by prudes! _I_ should go back to Vacuo!"

"That's-! I-! Let's go. You need to have another session on public decency with Scarlet," Sage said finally, grabbing Sun's collar and pulling him along. The Monkey Faunus flailed in protest, but could not escape his teammate's superior strength.

Jaune and Pyrrha remained rooted in place, both far too embarrassed to move, let alone speak, after Sun's comments.

Absently, though, they wondered just what kind of place he, and by extension, their friends came from.

* * *

"Where are they coming from!? And why are they coming _here_?!" Haku shouted as he shot another Beowolf through the head. "I thought they only targeted negative emotions!"

"Don't think about it now! Just hold them off!" Sasuke ordered as he cut down a Creep that attempted to leap past him into what was considered Kon's territory.

The two were assigned to help patrol the massive Wall that was built around the established city-village by the Founding Four, and what had been a rather easy and cushioned job had, like all missions, been turned on its head by the _enormous_ legion of Grimm that _literally_ came out of nowhere. There were no warning signs, no sighted Grimm that lurked about in preparation or as scouts. It was as if the Grimm horde spawned from thin air, but that couldn't have been what happened.

"Hold the Wall!" "There's too many!" and "It's game over, man! Game over!" echoed repeatedly in the distance as the rest of Kon's Defensive Forces struggled to keep the Grimm horde's advance at bay. Sasuke let out a frustrated yell as he decapitated another Beowulf and then impaled a climbing Ursa.

"We're sitting ducks here!" Sasuke said to Haku, as the feminine boy fired round after round down at the climbing Grimm. The last Uchiha cut down yet another Beowolf and then spun Amaterasu to unleash three arrows into an approaching Nevermore.

"I _know_!" Haku snapped, his wrist flicking to shift Snowfall to its whip form and grabbed a leaping Creep that he flung back down towards the horde at the base of the wall. Snowfall switched around once more in another flick and the climbing Grimm found themselves pelted by more dust crystals. Haku's gaze flicked up at the sound of a loud shriek and he gave pause.

"G...Griffons..." Haku muttered. He lifted his arm and unloaded hell onto the approaching flock of seven black fliers. " _GRIFFONS_!"

"Shit!" Sasuke swore. He spun Amaterasu, slicing the hands off of a Beowulf as he did and kicking another Grimm off of the wall, and shifted it to its sword form to cover the climbers while Haku focused on the higher tier aerial Grimm. Sasuke cut down two Creeps and charged his free hand with lightning. "Haku, duck!"

Haku dropped down and Sasuke threw his hand out, black arcs of electrified aura shot out from his fingertips to char the lead Griffon. The Griffon's body was black mist before it hit the ground. As were the three that followed it.

"Damn." Sasuke scowled and let out a huff. "I'd hoped to get more."

"Don't sell yourself short, Sasuke." Haku shot down another leaping Creep and dropped into a mirror to dodge a Beowolf's pounce, causing the Grimm to dive back into the horde below. Haku rose back up from his mirror and pointed to the circling flocks of Griffons that were strangely coordinated in their attacks on the defenders of Kon's wall, his index finger leveled specifically on the four that survived Sasuke's initial attack on the return. "Oh look, they're circling around again. If anything, you may get your chance."

"Haku. Keep the others off of me. I'm bringing those birds down." Sasuke squared his shoulders and back-slashed a Beowolf that thought it could get the drop on him before he sheathed his sword. Black arcs danced along his arms and the sky above him began to darken. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he held his hands up.

" _There's a legend belonging to the Vacuo tribes of old of the being that rules the sky._ " Kakashi's voice echoed in a faint memory. Sasuke had just turned fourteen, and according to Kakashi had only just started scratching the surface of what he could do with his semblance. He sat panting from the exercises that Kakashi forced him through after each day of class, massive craters easily twelve feet wide surrounding them. " _The mighty drums that announce its arrival, the cracks in the air that follow its path. The Sky King. The Stormbringer. The Destroyer: Kirin-Ryu, the Dragon of Lightning._ "

 _And now..._ Sasuke thought as he clapped his hands together over his head and a large black bolt connected his clasped hands to the dark clouds. _Bring the rain, Kirin._

"By god..." Haku, and many others, stopped mid-fight while the Grimm gave pause.

From the clouds descended a massive crackling, lightning variant of the creature of myth. The massive dragon was serpentine in form. Its length easily surpassed the height of all four CCTS towers combined. The dragon's maw opened and swallowed one of the Griffon whole in one go. Before anyone could blink, the creature devoured the rest of the flocks within its sight, its body's energy eradicated them from existence the moment they were in its jaw. When the last Griffon was devoured, the dragon let out one final roar before it exploded in the sky over the horde, eradicating a good portion of the creatures that swarmed below them.

Sasuke slumped to his hands and knees, heaving breaths escaping him.

"...Damn, Sasuke." Haku blinked and shot down the Beowolves that scaled the wall before he returned his attention to his teammate. Sasuke grinned weakly and peered down over at the bottom of the wall.

"There's still so many..." Sasuke groaned. He sat back and let his head slump against the wall. "I think there's more here than there were in the Breach."

"I hate to say it, but I think you're right." Haku sighed. He gave a wry chuckle. "Still, being here isn't all bad. Right? At least we're winning."

"My leg! My leg! MEDI-AHHH!"

Sasuke and Haku watched a KDF soldier get carried off by one of the few Nevermore that circled around the wall and dropped into the horde below. The two teammates watched the man disappear into the void of Grimm, never to be seen in one piece again, before they exchanged a look.

"Well, Haku, it's official," Sasuke said as he held Amaterasu up and took aim with the bow-form. "You're worse than Kurama."

"Shut up, Sasuke," Haku said before they both resumed fire on the horde.

* * *

"What's the damage?" Kakashi asked, staring out past his grand window at the many pillars of smoke that rose on the horizon.

The room rumbled and shook by the distant booms that the various weapons and semblances in use caused. Sasuke's earlier demonstration had stopped a few of the flying Grimm, but so many more small specks continued to circle around Kon's mighty wall. A swarm immediately brought down any airship that attempted to near the other members of the KDF, so after the fifth failed attempt, Kakashi ordered that all of the Bullheads on hand would fly low, and the available fighters would climb the ten stories that made the Wall.

"Sections Epsilon and Theta are reporting heavy casualties," Aoba said as he kept one hand over the headset that covered his ears. The other furiously scribbled down information faster than what could be perceived as humanly possible, doubly so when one took to heart that Aoba was receiving/deciphering reports from _all_ twenty-four sections of the Wall. "Sections Zeta and Rho have gone dark. Best to consider those gone, sir."

"Then why aren't they moving in?" Kakashi asked, his eyes narrowed in thought. He looked over at a heavily scarred man wearing an intimidating amount of black that just barged into the door. "Ibiki."

"Commander," the man, Ibiki, said as he straightened into a formal salute. Kakashi waved him off and he relaxed. "Request permission to join the defense, sir."

"Go." Kakashi started to turn away, but stopped and held a hand out to catch Ibiki's arm. "Wait, no. Not yet."

"Sir?" Ibiki asked in confusion.

"Get me online. I'm initiating Article C-Kevlar-Eighty-Six-Alphonse of Konohagakurenosato's Charter. I want everyone that's on reserve. _Everyone_! If they started here, and moved away, they come _back_." Kakashi glared angrily into Ibiki's eyes as he pulled his hand back. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Ibiki nodded. He looked over at a pineapple-headed youth seated at a control station. "Nara-!"

"Don't yell. Such a pain. I'm already getting the program started." The tired young man with his head propped up on his desk stared at the screen while a shadowed hand danced across the keyboard. The young man was no older than Kakashi's students, but he wore a higher ranked vest than Aoba did. "In five minutes, we'll be in control of the information flow through the CCT and any devices connected to them."

"For how long, Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked. Shikamaru Nara looked up and met the Fifth Commander's intense gaze without so much as a frightened blink. He cracked a small smile.

"As long as you want, sir, but the next Great War might be declared if it lasts any longer than two minutes." Shikamaru shrugged. "What do we care? We're the ones under siege."

"You think it's a siege, Shikamaru?" Asuma, who was monitoring the civilian evacuation, asked from his seat. Shikamaru looked over at him.

"What else could it be?" the young man returned. "They've taken two sections-"

"Four, no wait, five. We just lost Bravo," Aoba corrected.

"But they're not invading?" Shikamaru continued, undeterred by the interruption. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and propped a fresh one in his mouth while simultaneously extinguishing the last in the half-full ashtray set beside him. Once the smoke was lit, he removed it from his mouth and crossed his arms. "Something big's happening, Lord Fifth. Something new."

"All the more reason for me to enact the article." Kakashi hinted. He turned to look Ibiki in the eye. "Why are you still here?"

"My department also wanted permission to-"

"Granted! Now go!"

"Sir!" Ibiki saluted once more before he stormed out of the room, barking at a few of the awaiting members of his division before the doors closed.

"Lord Fifth-" Shikamaru began.

"What?!" Kakashi glared at the younger man over his shoulder.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered as he barely withheld a shiver from the glare. "It's ready, sir."

"Good." Kakashi fully turned away from the windows, which tinted until they were fully dark, and three lights shone down to illuminate the Fifth Commander. A dark orb floated up from the ground. The camera on the orb gained a red light above the corner of the lens and Kakashi straightened himself further.

"People of Remnant, Human and Faunus alike, I apologize for this rude and hostile takeover of the CCT," Kakashi made sure not to sound at all sorry as he continued. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I am the Fifth Commander of the village of Kon. We are currently under attack by a horde of Grimm exceeding the size of that which had breached the walls of Vale no more than a few months ago."

Around the world, civilians, huntsmen, huntresses, and soldiers alike were glued to whatever device broadcasted Kakashi's message. Children who were too young to understand the severity of the situation asked their teachers why the educational video stopped or why the smart-board suddenly started up, only to be shushed. At Beacon, students from Kon or the sister villages were glued to their scrolls, shushing anyone that dared speak.

"Five sectors of the Grand Wall have already been lost, and though Grimm have yet to move on to the village, they will come," Kakashi said. "I refuse to let them take my home without a fight. As such, I am enacting Article C-Kevlar-Eighty-Six-Alpha of the Konohagakurenosato Charter of Vacuo, and recalling _every_ and _all_ able-bodied graduates of Kon Academy."

"Not _just_ the licensed Hunters, either." Kakashi added as he stared into the camera that broadcasted his image across the planet. "I want the kids that went abroad to study. I want the doctors. I want the nurses. I want the police officers. I want the meter maids. I want the firefighters. I want the janitors. I want the _goddamn_ lawyers. _Everyone_ that's able-bodied and graduated from Kon's Academy comes _back_. There will be no arguments. You _will_ all return on your own power, or _I_ will come find _you_."

"Sixty seconds," Shikamaru said under his breath. Kakashi glanced at him briefly and then looked back into the camera.

"To the soldiers and Huntsmen of Atlas, Vale, and Mistral; to the Faunus in Menagerie; and to the honorable Tribes of the Wild-Lands, I just have one last thing to say," he said, his eyes curled up as they closed and he smiled. "Keep yourselves out of this, I don't want to deal with anymore bureaucratic bullshit. Have a nice day."

The camera feed cut out and the lights came back on. The windows filled with the silhouettes and names of councilmen from all over the Four Kingdoms. Kakashi glanced at them briefly over his shoulder.

"...Answer them." Kakashi ordered. Shikamaru nodded and filtered the calls through.

"What is the meaning of this-?" "You have no right-!" "How dare you violate the CC-!"

"Councilors, councilors, know that I mean this will any and all respect I can muster: Shut the fuck up!" Kakashi ordered firmly. The councilmen silenced immediately, their minimized screens able to see him standing in what could only be called a War Room with a skeleton staff working behind him. Kakashi gestured to the few that remained dutifully at work. "Councilors...what you see here are the handful of men and women that I managed to keep from charging this horde with all their fury, Hell, I've barely managed to keep myself in this room. I've lost already five-hundred able bodies to this Horde, and I will be damned before I lose any other because of your inability to put wounded prides aside and stay out of the way."

"Our pride!?" One councilman from Mistral snapped. "Commander Hatake, you overstep your boundaries-!"

"Article IV, subsection Q, paragraph three and a half on the two hundredth and thirty-seventh page of the Vytal Accords," Kakashi said, cutting the man off. "'Any nation that deems a threat too great to handle may request the aid of another, but none should act without proper request lest it be seen as an act of aggression.' Let me make myself _perfectly_ clear. I am not Professor Ozpin and this is _not_ Vale. We will not be hosting the Vytal Festival nor will we allow _any_ outside force take command of us under the illusion of protection."

"Commander!" A councilwoman of Atlas scowled. Kakashi arched a challenging brow.

"Shikamaru?"

"I count a squad of Atlesian Airships already in flight from Vale, and two more heading from Atlas," Shikamaru said as he stared calmly into his computer screen. He looked up and stared past his village leader at the councilors. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, sir, but I believe that's a breach of the Vytal Accords. For all we know, they could be heading this way to claim Kon after the Grimm are repulsed."

"How dare-We _saved_ Vale!" Another Atlesian Councilman refuted.

"No, you repelled _Grimm_ with _excessive_ force." Kakashi argued. "If it wasn't clear before, then I will make it clear _now_. If an Atlesian Airship or any such like it from Vale or Mistral, comes within five hundred miles of Kon, Councilors, then Vacuo will perceive it as an act of _war_. Does that confuse you in any way? Because I can say it _slowly_ if I need to let it sink into your thick skulls."

"You need help, Commander." A councilman of Vale insisted. "You wouldn't have recalled your people otherwise."

"No, Councilman. I recalled my people because I know who I want to watch my back, and who I don't." Kakashi insisted. He turned and waved his hand across his throat, which prompted Shikamaru to end the call. Kakashi returned his gaze back to the now clear windows and folded his hands behind his back. "Asuma, report."

"Fifteen percent have been successfully relocated to the shelters, sir." Asuma sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. His jaw flexed and he swiveled the cigarette in his mouth around. "...Sir-?"

"I need you here, Asuma. You, Gai and Kurenai are vital to the evacuation procedure," Kakashi said.

"We're getting our asses handed to us!" Asuma snapped as he shot up to his feet. "The councilman was right! We need help, more than just the few hundred that left Kon!"

"And we will get it, Asuma." Kakashi looked back at the man. He cracked another eye-smile. "Haven't you noticed that my right hand is missing?"

"I find that highly offensive! I wasn't missing!" Obito refuted as he emerged from the ground in a swirling red portal. He walked over to Shikamaru and presented a device with his false hand. "Pop it in and load it up."

"Yes, sir." Shikamaru nodded. Once the device was connected to the computer, the windows flickered before four faces super-imposed themselves over the glass. Kakashi brought his hands up and bowed his head.

"Fellow Commanders," he said before his lifted his gaze. "It's as we feared: The Grimm are being organized."

* * *

 **AN: Wow... Yeah, I mean, a siege. From Grimm... I had fun writing it, but I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

 **Even if it was only just a little.**

 **But now y'all know what I want ya to do!**

 **REWINTERHASCOMEANDITSEVERYWHERE!**


	41. A God's Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XL: A God's Pain**

* * *

"LET! ME! GO!" Naruto snarled as he tried to pull himself out from under the dozen people that had piled atop him to keep him from leaving the mountain. He had stumbled across Kakashi's broadcast and while he was almost finished with his training, he felt that it was enough to help with the effort. Not to mention it was a mandated article of the village and he was bent as all hell to follow through on his oath given prior to graduation.

Fukasaku, however, disagreed.

"Keep a tight hold on him!" The Old Sage said from where he was on the blond's back. "Shima will be back with the Beads of Guilt momentarily!"

"Tiger, if what the Commander said is true, then you've got to finish the training!" Leone, who was among the lower part of the pile-up and had been the first to successfully catch the running Sage-in-Training with a tried-and-true tackle, said through gritted teeth. Her grip around his waist tightened when he began to wiggle through, which caused her cheek to press firmly against his, and not the whiskered one on his face. "Geez, Tiger, you really don't want to make this easy, do you? Almost slipped out of my grasp, there."

"The lass's right, _Dumbass_." Roshi, who had returned a few days after Naruto and Leone met, grit out. He was the second to last to jump on the blond, using his semblance to create a large deep trench that the boy merely leapt over before Leone tackled him to the ground. "Think of what you're doing, fool!"

"You won't be able to get through his skull, Roshi." Fukasaku grumbled from where he sat on the young Sage-in-Training's back. "He's his mother's son!"

"If her ass was anywhere as tight as Tiger's, I'd believe it." Leone commented nonchalantly. She felt a few of the other members of the pile look in her direction. "What? Tight asses are signs of stubborn mules, aren't they?"

"...Not going to dignify that with a response, lass." Roshi sighed. He grinned slightly. "Though, if you want to show me yours later-"

"Not interested." Leone flatly denied as a shifting body above her shoved her face awkwardly into Naruto's lower back. "Hey! Stop moving or he'll get out!"

"Eh, worth a shot." Roshi muttered. He looked up and smirked. "Speaking of. Ma, pleased to see you again."

Naruto strained his neck, trying to see where the presumed knockout blow would come from, but this was ultimately his undoing as several darts shot into the other side. His glowing eyes dimmed and rolled into his skull, and he passed out without another word, his face dropping right into the dirt. The dozen bodies waited for a minute before they slowly broke away from the blond they had to subdue.

Well, except for one.

"Okay, this is seriously the firmest ass I've ever felt. What kind of lunges does he do?" Leone mused as she casually groped the unconscious boy's rear. Her left lion-like ear was pinched tightly between two fingers before Shima pulled her off of Naruto. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-!"

"That's no way for a girl your age to act in public! Why when I was your age, we had the decency to wait for others to be out of sight!" Shima scolded the buxom Faunus on proper public etiquette and dragged her away while Fukasaku hefted Naruto's unconscious form over his shoulder. The older Sage sighed and followed his wife, all the while wondering how to convince Naruto that he had to finish his training. Especially if the horde was caused by who he presumed it to be caused by.

"Roshi." Fukasaku glanced at the friend of his deceased student and pursed his lips. "Go to Kon and warn them. The Commander must know what it is that's coming for him."

"And what is coming for him?" Roshi asked.

Fukasaku's eyes narrowed and his 'free' hand tightened around his cane as he turned and carried his unconscious student back to the sacred oil baths.

"Pein."

* * *

"What do you mean we can't go!?" Yang glared at Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck, who blocked her team and several others that were itching to rush off to the airships and help Kon with the Grimm attack. Well, the two teachers had a good dozen of Atlesian drones backing them, but it was primarily the two teachers that held the students at bay.

"Commander Hatake has good reason to deny the assistance of others, though even I find it a foolish one," Port said gruffly. "I'm sorry, students, but Professor Ozpin has sided with the leader of Kon and the order of the Council-"

"Screw the Council!" someone in the back shouted.

"We should be allowed to go help!" Another added while more voices spoke out in protest.

"I'm not even a student here or Atlas! Why should I listen to you?!" Sun asked heatedly as he stepped forward. Oobleck turned to him and adjusted his glasses.

"Yes, but you're not a graduate of Kon Academy either, Mr. ...Wu-kong, was it?" Oobleck folded his hands behind his back when Sun scowled. "Admiral though it may be that all of you wish to rush off and assist your friends or the innocent in defending Kon, to do so would break the Vytal Treaty and risk _war_!"

"That's such _bullshit_!" Yang snapped. She pointed beyond the teachers and drones at some of the other students who had managed to board Bullheads that were set to go to Kon. The buxom blonde's red eyes lingered on a girl with short brow hair pulled into twin buns that followed a boy with eyebrows that made Yang feel uneasy. She gestured at them and the others that followed them. "Why do _they_ get to go?!"

"Those are proven graduates of Kon, as are the transport pilots that are flying them. They and they alone know the codes that will grant them entry into Kon's airspace that his been deemed restricted." Oobleck was calm as ever as he addressed the horde of battle-hungry students. He took a sip from his cup before he continued. "I will not ask you all again, please return to your dorms and wait for further instructions. Or, if you'd so wish, you could retreat to the main hall. I believe a live feed of the siege is being prepared by some Atlesian students, in the event that drastic measures need be taken."

Hearing this caused many of the students to rush off to the hall without another word, and Yang would've stayed to protest further if Ruby didn't grab her arm and pull her along.

"C'mon, Yang, we can try calling Dad again. Or maybe Uncle Qrow," Ruby said softly.

"I don't want to call Dad or Qrow, Ruby..." Yang's scowl fell into a worried frown and she hugged her arms around herself. "I just...I want to help."

"Yang," Blake said, putting a hand on her partner and friend's shoulder. "Naruto will be fine. He's got Haku, Sasuke and Kurama and his other friends in Kon to watch his back."

"Not to mention his impeccable ability to survive because of his idiotic invincibility," Weiss said from Ruby's other side. She had a small look of annoyance on her face. "I don't understand, though. Why would they refuse Atlas' help? Our military is the strongest-"

"That's precisely why." The girls of Team RWBY looked up to see the mint-green haired Mistral girl approaching them. Emerald stopped a good distance from them, her arms crossed and her face stony rather than the coy smirk she usually wore. "Kon is the first defense of Vacuo, and if it falls, Vacuo _will_ follow. Occupation by an outside force, for protection or otherwise, will be seen as a weakness."

"And just how do you know that?" Weiss asked.

"Naruto told me a lot of things when we were together," Emerald said. Her eyes were locked with Yang's, both not glaring, but not being friendly with each other as they did.

"Must've been nice, using him to get information then tossing him out the door," Yang said as her eyes narrowed and Emerald followed suit. The rest of Team RWBY felt tense – Yang and Emerald hadn't been this close to each other in a long time, mostly because the latter would keep away whenever a single member of Team NHKS, regardless of who it was, was nearby. Likewise, Yang was usually distracted or occupied by the leader of Team NHKS, so thoughts of confronting her boyfriend's ex had slowly dwindled away.

Until now.

"You say that like you know what happened," Emerald said sharply.

"I _do_ know what happened." Yang growled as her fists tightened to whiten her knuckles beneath her gloves. "You think he'd keep something like that from me?"

"Willingly? Yes." Emerald nodded.

"Are you saying I forced him to tell me?" Yang challenged.

"I wouldn't use the word 'force'," Emerald said. She smirked suddenly. "But, it wouldn't surprise me if _you_ had to work to get _anything_ out of him."

"Emerald!" The sudden shout stopped the red-eyed Yang's fist-powered retort before it could be thrown. Team RWBY and Emerald looked over to see Mercury and Cinder approaching, their shoulders tense and eyes narrowed. Cinder gave the mint-haired girl a stern glare before she faced Team RWBY with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry if she bothered you, but the whole situation has all of us on edge." Cinder looked back at the cringing girl with another glare. "And now isn't the time to start anything from nothing."

"Sorry, Cinder." Emerald murmured. Cinder arched a brow and folded her arms.

"I don't believe I'm the one that you should be apologizing to."

Emerald's outraged scowl caused Mercury to bite back a chuckle, making a terrible effort of hiding his amusement behind a cough into his fist. Team RWBY, Blake in particular, watched the exchange curiously. The stance and mannerisms seemed off, for Mercury and Cinder anyway. They were trying to act tense, whereas Emerald really was.

"Yes, you're right Cinder. Yang...I'm...s- _sorry_..." Emerald grit out before she whirled around on the balls of her feet and walked away with the amused Mercury following her. Cinder looked back at the other girls, Ruby specifically.

"Again, I'm sorry about all of this. All of us are a little on edge," Cinder said with a small smile. She turned and walked off after her team, looking over her shoulder and waving a farewell.

"There, see? All's forgiven," Ruby said with a pat on her sister's arm and a wide smile on her face. Yang huffed and crossed her arms while her eyes went back to their normal shade of lilac.

"Yeah, but I wish you'd had just let me hit her."

"That wouldn't have solved anything!" Weiss admonished the girl. Yang shrugged.

"I would've felt better."

"And possibly got us kicked from the tournament," Blake said dryly. She then frowned. "If there even is a tournament..."

The mood became rather somber after that comment and they made their way to the Main Hall. Pyrrha waved them over to a spot where they could see the screen, and near her, along with the rest of her team, were Teams SSSN and CFVY. Fox had a comforting hand on Coco's shoulder, while her foot was tapping furiously; Velvet was in the midst of a hushed conversation with Yatsuhashi; likewise, Sun and Neptune were softly bickering over the flaw in Sun's plan to apprehend a Bullhead; and Jaune had just initiated conversation with Scarlet as Team RWBY made their way to the small section.

"So, the problem isn't so much stealing the Bullhead as it is getting the codes to prevent us from being shot down?" Jaune asked. Scarlet nodded.

"The codes don't exist digitally. From what we overheard, each graduate of Kon has to memorize a code upon graduation, in case this sort of thing happened," the redheaded boy said. He opened his mouth to say more, but quieted when Sage nudged him and pointed at the stage.

"All right, the micro-drones are there!" The Atlesian technician smiled and gave a thumbs' up to the students. "We're all set!"

The screen flickered for a moment before an image cut in. Smoke and debris filled the canvas as Grimm, by the hundreds, broke through a wall. The audio was weak, so not much could be heard, but there was a clear picture granted by the CCT's relay. A large group of Creeps bound towards the camera, but suddenly stopped and fell forward, their heads pierced by several shots. The micro-drone turned and focused on the one who did the deed, finding a rifle-bearing Kurama in torn clothes staring back, his glasses absent from his face and tears along his clothes.

Around them, Blake noticed that many were asking the same question that was on her mind: How long has Kurama been fighting?

* * *

"There's just no fuckin' end to them," Kurama said under his breath as he used Ri Kudo to shoot down more Grimm. He quickly twisted the rifle in his hand and it shifted into a spear. He used the polearm to propel himself up and over a Beringal when it charged at him, and while in the air, shifted Ri Kudo back to its rifle mode.

"Say 'Ahh'," Kurama said when the gorilla-like Grimm turned around to roar at him. He pulled the trigger and a single shot tore through the back of the Grimm's head. The fox Faunus landed atop a partially collapsed building in a crouch while the Beringal fell where it stood. He jumped up again when another Beringal leapt up at him and smashed through the rest of the building.

"Give me five minutes to catch my breath, dammit!" Kurama snarled when he landed. He shifted Ri Kudo back to its spear form once again and stabbed the Grimm through its throat. The fox Faunus pulled his spear back and took a few heavy breaths. Three thuds made him look up and whimper, as three Geists, or Petra Gigas, as the Grimm were called when they were fully protected by various forms of debris.

"Now, that's just not fair," Kurama said as he fell to a knee. One of the Geist moved forward and lifted its boulder-sized arm, intent on bringing it down onto him. Kurama grit his teeth and pushed himself up to dive out of the way, only just avoiding being crushed. The force of the blast still sent him flying back first into a wall. The wall in question gave way and the ceiling it held up came down on the Faunus. Or, rather, it would've if a red vortex hadn't opened up beneath Kurama and dumped him onto a rooftop nearby.

"Didn't think you'd be so quick to give up." The voice made Kurama glance up and scowl at his savior. Obito had a cheeky grin on his face before he looked at the Geists. He pursed his lips and hummed. "Well, that hardly seems fair."

"That's what I said!" Kurama groaned as he got back to his feet. He flicked his wrist and Ri Kudo shifted back to its initial bladed monk-staff form. He held the staff out towards the Grimm and the ring opened with a small black orb growing in the center. "Just say the word, and they'll be rubble."

"Along with most of the square and any potential survivors," Obito said as he pushed the faunus' weapon down. He lifted his false right arm and his hand folded in, replaced with a cylindrical edge. A long conical edge shot out from the center of the arm, gleaming almost maliciously in the overhead sunlight. He grinned at Kurama before he looked back at the Geists. "I got these bozos. Go find your teammates."

"...Yeah, okay." Kurama nodded. He shifted Ri Kudo back to a spear before he ran to the edge of the roof and jumped to the next rooftop, intent on doing as he was told.

Obito cracked his neck and pulled his spear-arm back. He shifted his footing and held his only hand out. With a battle cry he threw his right arm forward and the edge fired like a harpoon, a long link of spiked chains connecting the weapon to the arm. It pierced through the hard rock of one Geist completely. As the debris fell, Obito reeled himself towards the spear. He used the momentum to drive both of his feet through the Grimm's exposed mask.

The Geist's body crumbled apart and Obito pulled his arm free of the boulder it was lodged in once the rock crashed to the ground. As wisps of black rose up around him, Obito faced the other two Petra Gigas. He dug around in a pouch set at the left side of his hips and pulled out two red crystals.

"Alright, let's see how well you made that armor." He taunted before he tossed the Fire Dust into his mouth and crunched down. Obito's chest swelled and he pointed at the left Gigas with two fingers. A blaze of fire shot from his lips, engulfing one of the two Gigas fully, and slowly melting away the armor. While the Grimm feebly attempted to extinguish its new problem, Obito smirked and exhaled two dark clouds of smoke through his nostrils. The Gigas' body fell apart, the Geist within burnt to nothing, and Obito faced down the last of the trio.

"Two down." He brandished his spear-arm and pulled out three more red crystals. The Gigas faced him fully and roared. Obito grinned, his coal-colored eye now a bright scarlet. "One to go."

* * *

Six pairs of ringed purple eyes stared down at the chaos that ranged around and within Kon. The cloaked and pierced bodies of Pein hovered above the village. Konan, loyal to the last, floated beside the Deva Path, paper wings keeping her aloft.

"They are doing better than we expected," she said. The ringed eyes didn't so much as blink.

"In that regard," the Mortal Path began.

"We should intervene," the Grimm Path said.

"These blasphemers must be punished," the Preta Path said.

"They must be made example of," the Asura Path said firmly.

"The time has come for them to learn their place," the Naraka Path finished. The Paths moved back, leaving the Deva Path alone with Konan.

The Deva Path held his hands out towards the city-village. His eyes remained impassive as he stared down at the stronghold that defended Vacuo. The best of the best certainly came from Kon, evidenced by his teacher's skill, and further displayed by the surprising amount of survivors that withstood the Grimm Siege. Had he not been so certain of their disobedience towards his vision, he would have spared them.

That said, however...

"It is time they learn, Konan." The Deva Path felt his aura build up in his palms, felt the air become heavy around him, threatening to crush his very being. "It is time they learned of Pein."

The Deva Path released his built up aura in a furious blast, while beside him, Konan said only three words as she watched the City of Kon implode, as a massive crater filled the center of the square and expand out. As a fraction of the few hundreds who defended Kon were crushed to death by the debris that was forced to the edge of the mighty wall by her God's wrath, only three words escaped her lips.

"Divine judgment, Milord."

Pein said nothing and took in his destruction. The city was gone. The many Creatures of Grimm that managed to pass the walls were dead, as were many of those that defied him. However, there were bound to be stragglers, fools who would cling to this Pein and use it as a fuel to stoke the flames of war. Pein narrowed his eyes.

"Come." He said simply as he descended towards the crater. Konan and his paths (who were suspended by his will in the first place, so they had little choice in the matter) followed him down. Pein touched down in the epicenter of his display of power. His paths landed behind him, all ready to move at his word, at his thought.

Far away from this devastation, a seventh figure hidden in shadow, opened his purple ringed eyes slightly. His hand, weak and frail in appearance, curled into a tight fist. He spoke at the same time as the Deva Path.

"We end the Will of Fire, today."

* * *

 **AN: HAPPY NEW YEAR! ...Er, Happy** _ **WEEK**_ **after New Years! ...Welcome to 2017 guys!**

 **So, life's a bit hectic and while I don't have much concern in regards to finals this semester, I am still trying to keep school as my main focus. That and my work schedule, which will hopefully die down within a month or so, is crazy!**

 **Anyway, Kon has been destroyed! What of the fates of our heroes? What of the hinted Sage Mode? What of the warriors and spies at Beacon? You'll might find out next chapter...or you might not.**

 **I'm going to start deviating from** _ **RWBY**_ **Canon. Elements from Vol. 4 may be kept, but the overall story...No. Just-Just no. I love this show, I love the characters, but the story? 6 out of 10. Sorry, Monty, but I won't give a better grade until a clear plot is given to me, and all I've been getting is** _ **filler**_ **and** _ **world**_ _ **building**_ **(which is fine, but we're borderline SW:Episode 1 levels of disappointment here). Want to chat more on RWBY Vol. 4 with me? Want to flame my ass and argue that I'm wrong? Go ahead and PM me.**

 **RENEWWORLDORDER!**


	42. Vox Populi

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XLI: Vox Populi**

* * *

Kakashi pulled himself out from the debris of his command center. He grunted and pulled a steel bar out of his shoulder. He had a grimace underneath his slightly torn, but surprisingly durable mask. That grimace became a disbelieving gape when he looked around him.

The beautiful village he called his home, the place his father settled in and gave his life for, the land his teacher and predecessors defended with their last breaths, was in ruin. No, that was being too generous. Kon was gone, wiped from the map in a single, massive, devastating blow.

"K-Kakashi!" Kakashi turned towards the coughing. He rushed to the survivor's aid and helped remove debris from their form with strained grunts. Once the debris was gone, he helped Aoba to his feet. The slightly younger man let out a strangled cry and nearly fell again if Kakashi hadn't caught him.

"Careful, I think you may have broken something." He eased Aoba to the ground. The man grimaced and removed his broken sunglasses from his face; a few shards of the lens were imbedded around his eyes. The one saving grace was that each shard wasn't large enough to cause serious damage, but it was still enough to hinder the man's eyesight. And combat capability.

Another yell of strain caught their attention and they looked to the side to see a mound of debris get launched up by a large funnel of wind. The tornado died down to reveal Asuma as rose from the cleared space and helped both Shikamaru and Kurenai to their feet.

Further away, a distant shout of "YOUTH!" accompanied a loud boom that signaled Might Guy's survival. A small part of Kakashi berated himself for being torn about how he felt over that.

Casting aside his conflicted feelings over his rivals' state of being, Kakashi looked around again with a broken heart at the state of his home. The people had trusted him to protect them, to protect their safe haven from outside forces. He had sworn the same oath as his master and the past four leaders of Kon, the first three had fought in The Great War and kept Kon from Mistral and Mantle's clutches.

Though it was not the first time in his life he felt this way, Kakashi felt he had failed significantly. He was not worthy of his post. He wasn't fit to do what Minato or Hiruzen had done so well it made them legendary. He-

"Oi! Kaka-baka! Stop being so gloomy!" The scolding was accompanied by a firm slap upside the head. Kakashi shifted his eyes to glare at the one who did so, and found a single red eye glaring back. Obito crossed his arms, his body no worse for the wear, but his reserves were low. Kakashi could tell by the subtle increase of breath that his brother released and took in.

"What hit us?" Kakashi's question was soft, but riding its coat tails came a rage that burned so hot even the sun would seem like an ice cube in comparison.

"They did." Obito pointed firmly at the figures that stared down the small group. The commander turned and followed the pointed finger, his eyes sparking with a desire to make the ones who attacked his home pay.

Kakashi took the sight of them in, six men with orange hair, bizarre piercings and purple eyes. He planned to take them alive, if only to make their demise slow and painful.

 _First, the removal of their eyes, then their fingers, then one by one, I will rip out each piercing. Then their genitals. Or should that come first? I could cauterize the wounds. Decisions, decisions..._

"Kakashi Hatake," said the most average of the bunch as he stepped forward. His orange hair spiked out from his head. Beside him stood a blue-haired woman with a white rose on her head. His face was impassive and Kakashi could barely detect any form of life from him. "I will offer this once: Surrender and die."

"...Obito?" Kakashi tilted his head slightly, not moving his eyes from the new foe. "Where are the Grimm?"

"They're gone," Obito said softly as he moved to stand in front of Aoba and beside Kakashi. His false arm shifted into its harpoon state and he drew a red crystal from his pouch. "Vanished just before the village imploded. Right before I noticed these assholes."

"Kakashi Hatake, what is your response?" The man asked.

"I want your name before I decide anything," Kakashi said firmly. "I see you're with the Fourth War. I can guess you're the one who sent the Grimm after us. I just need a name."

"I am Pein," the six men said simultaneously. "You may call me God."

"...Yeah, fuck that." Kakashi spat as he reached behind him and drew a single short-sword, no longer than his forearm, and no wider than his two fingers. The blade crackled with electricity. Kakashi's left eye blazed red, the same hue as Obito's single eye, and the two fell perfectly into a synchronized combat stance.

"Then you shall suffer." The most forward Pain lifted his hand. A wave of force raced from the palm and the Kon natives were launched back, Aoba caught by Shikamaru and Asuma, while Kakashi, Kurenai and Obito landed shakily on the ruins of their home.

"Okay. That was _not_ telekinesis, I'm guessing gravity," Shikamaru said as he helped Aoba stay on his feet. "He called himself God, right? Those eyes are the Eyes of Samsara."

"I thought those were just a myth!" Asuma growled.

"We know one of the last few Silver Eyed Warriors," Kurenai said pointedly.

"That's different-!"

"It doesn't matter if it was a myth or not!" Obito snapped, silencing the squabble before it could really begin. He tossed his dust crystal into his mouth and crunched down on it. Flames tickled the edge of his mouth as he glanced at Kakashi. "Rin's Cross?"

"I wanted to take them alive, but I doubt it'd be possible," Kakashi said with a scowl as he flipped his grip on his short sword and held it in reverse. "I've got your back."

Obito nodded curtly and a red portal appeared in front of him, and one manifested behind Pein. He launched his harpoon through and smirked as it impaled the bandaged man from behind. He pulled the arm back as the chain retracted the catch, pulling the bandaged Pein through his portal. Kakashi moved to decapitate the body from behind, but was knocked aside by another pulse of gravity from the lead body.

"Dammit!" Obito cursed as their tried and true sneak attack failed. Then, to his and the other Kon warriors' shock, the bandaged Pein's head swiveled around in a full one-eighty degree manner to grin at his captor. A large pike appeared where his left hand was and the elbow bent in the _wrong_ way, the absence of a sickening snap gave Obito pause, and the sudden weapon was intent on impaling the Fire Shadow.

"Oh, no ya don't!" A heavily accented voice shouted before a wave of _fire_ swept up the bandaged Pein. Obito quickly retracted his harpoon before it could pull him into the fatal fires. A redheaded Faunus with a monkey's tail landed at Obito's side, glaring daggers at the five purple-eyed beings. Obito stared at the newcomer.

"Master Roshi?"

"Hello lad. Love to exchange pleasantries over some drinks, but we've got some brats to put into their place," Roshi said, his eyes not once leaving the impassive faces of Pein. He clicked his tongue when his gaze fell on their pierced features. "Damn, they really are a group of flesh-bags, aren't they? No wonder Jiraiya didn't last."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked as he slowly made his way to flank Roshi's other side. Both he and Obito had gained little aberrations in their red eyes. "Who are they, Roshi?"

"Before they were killed? I do not know," Roshi said. His hands balled into fists when a massive white head emerged from the ground seamlessly and spat out the bandaged body, good as new. "Tch, dammit. Hoped Pa was exaggerating..."

"Oh, _great_ , they can revive themselves," Obito said dryly. He shifted his right arm back into a hand and his left hand rested on the handle that was strapped to his belt. His lone eye narrowed. "So, how do we beat them?"

"We'll use the tried and true method of beating the shite out of them. Be careful, though, they wield the Eyes of Samsara," Roshi said. He nodded at the far end, to the Tallest body. "Lanky over there is the Mortal path, don't let him get too close, he'll suck out yer soul."

"That's fucking broken." Obito deadpanned.

"On the plus side, it's not like it's instant, and it can be interrupted," Roshi said. He nodded at the ponytail. "The Grimm Path. He likely summoned the horde."

"He's mine." Kakashi claimed, his right eye sparking while his left gleamed in anger.

"Done." Roshi nodded. He pointed at the rotund body, "I'll keep him away. That's Preta, he can absorb Aura and Dust and redirect it back at you. Bandages there is the Asura, the living weapon, I'm sure ya guessed."

"That means the two brothers there are Deva and Naraka," Obito said thoughtfully. He glanced at the most aesthetically unaltered. "He's Deva...the divine. And the other one is Naraka...he can revive them."

"Then there's our first target." Kakashi murmured as Asuma, Kurenai and Guy joined up with them. The last of the three had his suit torn all over and was sporting a fat lip, while the other two were only lightly scuffed.

"Shikamaru's taken Aoba to the civilians to receive medical treatment," Asuma said. He pulled two bladed knuckles out from behind him and held them up at the ready. "What's the plan, Kakashi?"

"We're deferring to Roshi," Kakashi said firmly as he readied his blade. "The Breathing Volcano knows our enemy better than we do. Don't let the large guy or the tall guy touch you."

"Yosh! My eternal rival, should I-?"

"No!" Kakashi shot down firmly before Guy could finish. "Guy, your 'Semblance' is and always will be a last resort. They aren't worthy of seeing it."

"As you say, Commander," Guy said with a nod. He rolled his neck and stretched his arms before he reached down to his grieves and patted the sides. Two panels opened and Guy pulled out two sets of nunchaku. He began to twirl them slowly. "So then, who should feel the Might of Gin-Yu?"

"Tubby is all yers, Guy," Roshi said with a chuckle. He glanced at the red-eyed beauty with a smirk. "Yer semblance's greatest asset will do ya no well here, either, lass."

"We'll see about that. Besides," Kurenai said with ice in her tone, "I will not stand back and let you do all the fighting, _Roshi_."

"Yer not still mad at me, are ya?"

Kurenai moved first, a thin needle-like blade emerging from her loose sleeve. She rushed the Grimm Path and drove her blade through his chest. Then, she exploded into falling petals. She reappeared a good distance away, behind the group, on the ruins of a building. She pulled her sleeved arm back, and the body yanked away without protest. As it flew back towards her, Kurenai leapt from the ruins and flipped forward, dropping the heel of her left foot onto the Grimm Path's face.

The body rocketed towards the ground and impacted with a loud _BANG_.

"...Yeah, she's still mad," Roshi said softly. He shook his head and his body began to ignite. "Alright, boys! We can't let the lass have all the fun! Pick a Path and rip it apart!"

Roshi led the charge, the four men behind him, all while the Paths remained impassive. The Deva Path grabbed Naraka and they rose up into the air. Preta rushed to meet Roshi head on, but was diverted by a thrown nunchaku. The blunt instrument made Preta fly back through several buildings, all while pursued by a green blur. Roshi grabbed onto Mortal, scalding the body with his touch and built up aura in his palms.

"Ya like to fly? Let's see ya fly!" Roshi snarled before he unleashed his aura and sent the Mortal Path flipping through the air, away from the other Huntsmen and Huntress of Kon. A trail blazed of fire followed after him.

"Guess that leaves us with you," Kakashi said to Asura. The bandaged path gained a small grin, and Obito looked at Asuma.

"Go help Kurenai," he said before he glared at the bandaged man. "We'll handle this smug bastard."

"If you say so." Asuma shrugged. He rushed towards where Kurenai was. Asura saw this and shifted his weight slightly, allowing a long metallic tail to fly out from beneath his cloak. It attempted to pierce Asuma's side, but the man merely sneered at it and swung his left arm up. The tail was sliced apart by an sharp gust of wind, allowing Asuma to pass by unscathed.

Asura scowled at the missed opportunity and turned to pursue, only to be caught by a grappling hook that wound around his body from behind. A face with a glowing red eye appeared in front of him.

"Don't ignore us," Kakashi said firmly as he drove his sparking blade through Asura's chest.

* * *

Over at Beacon Academy, students were still reeling from the horror the cameras had revealed.

A settlement forged by Human and Faunus alike was flattened, obliterated, by a single man. With him were five others, all who shared orange hair and purple ringed eyes. Not to mention the six men's pierced bodies. That was one of the few hot topics currently being discussed by the students.

"Yeah! Kick his ass, Gramps!" Sun cheered while he watched his grandfather knock the lanky orange haired guy around. He crossed his arms and continued to grin. "Man, what were we worried about? The Grimm are gone and Grampa Roshi is there."

"The fact the Grimm are just _gone_ is something to be worried about," Blake said with a frown. She stood beside Sun with eyes narrowed in thought while she glanced between the multiple camera angles that covered the large screen.

The segment to the left of Roshi's fight focused on Guy wailing on his opponent over and over again with his nunchaku. The man usually thought to be impossible to make frown had lost his smile and had a serious look on his face. Blake wondered why he hadn't used his semblance more or if his semblance was even useful in this scenario.

Another angle, which Yang and Ruby were cheering at, had Kurenai running around her chosen opponent while Asuma kept barraging the figure with his trench knives. The earlier sight of Kurenai walking up to her opponent and shoving her sword into his chest without getting a reaction was odd, but then Blake recalled the apology she received from the woman for her part in Naruto's little...shock treatment. Kurenai could alter perception and, in layman's terms, control minds to some extent. Blake figured the woman made it seem like she rushed at her chosen opponent and then yanked him away.

It was a deadly semblance, one Blake wasn't sure could be countered.

The last angle focused on the apparent leader of Kon and his associate, who Blake believed to be related to Sasuke due to the striking similarities they shared, while they fought the man who _literally_ was a walking weapon. The cat faunus was certain that had Ruby not been so focused on Kurenai showing off some serious 'Girl-Power', she would've been drooling over the man's ability to shift his arm from a fully automatic weapon, to a rocket launcher, and then to a blade. Behind her, Blake overheard Jaune speaking with Pyrrha.

"You could rip that guy to shreds in a second," Jaune said. "Er, I mean, not literally, but hypothetically, if you ever had to fight a, you know, someone with as much metal as he has in his body."

"That's...not necessarily true, Jaune. It depends on the metal. Plus, I'd never forgive myself if I brought that much harm to another person," Pyrrha said softly.

"Life's not always a contest, kiddo." Blake blinked when Coco spoke up suddenly. "These guys, Pein, they don't _deserve_ to die necessarily, but they do _need_ to."

"Are you crazy?" Weiss asked as she whirled around and scowled at the older girl. She gestured at the screen. "These are terrorists! No, I don't trust _most_ Faunus, but I don't believe they all need to die for the betterment of Humanity. These-these crazy ...monsters deserve every bit of death that comes for them!"

"We shouldn't be allowed to make calls like that," Scarlet protested as the group turned in and looked away from the fight. "The Vytal War was fought for the right for any and all individuals to express themselves. I don't agree with their methods or message, but they don't need to die nor do they deserve it. The justice system will see it through!"

"Justice?" Blake frowned. "The system can be corrupted and broken. We saw that with Torchwick! With the Demon Butcher! People can get through the system unscathed. These guys need to be put down."

"Hey, guys, save the moral debate for later!" Sun drew their attention back to his Grandfather's screen. Roshi's fiery-form suddenly flickered out when a blue-skinned man rose from the ground, his hand outstretched towards Roshi. The Haven student's blue eyes went wide. "Gramps!"

"Oh, no..." Ruby whispered suddenly. They looked at her and she pointed at the screen with Asuma and Kurenai. Asuma had suddenly gone still, and the camera turned to reveal a silver-haired man standing within a ritualistic circle.

"Is he...Stabbing himself?" Neptune asked while Sage nodded grimly.

"Guys, what-Look! With the Kon Commander," Jaune said suddenly. A blue-haired woman appeared behind Obito with a paper spear stabbed through his stomach. The two missing paths descended when the one that could make people go flying batted Kakashi aside like he was an ant.

The only fight that didn't change was Guy's, as he continued to knock Preta around the remains of Kon.

"What's going on?" Yang asked. Her hands balled into fists as she trembled beside Blake. "They were winning..."

"Pein will bring us peace." The Atlesian soldier using the drones to transmit the fights uttered through his microphone. The man lifted a small metal box and pressed a button on it. The doors were blocked by steel walls and metal shutters slammed down over the windows. The engineer turned and faced the crowd, a small smile on his face. His face chipped away to reveal the body of an Atlesian pawn, like those that Team NHKS fought so long ago while Team RWBY faced Torchwick. "Now you will all see the powers of God."

Blake stared incredulously at the man while students began to pull weapons or call upon their aura. He was a plant, a figure meant to instill fear, to spread Pein by...Blake's eyes widened. The Fourth War weren't just terrorists, she realized. The signs were all there, the mad followers, the utter devotion, the manifested godly presence, it was all too clear now.

The Fourth War was a cult.

* * *

"Wha...The Maskless Grimm?" Roshi grumbled as he dropped to his knees. Behind him, the shark-like blue-skinned man gave a toothy grin.

"You can call me Kisame, Breathing Volcano," Kisame said in return. He tightened his hand and Roshi groaned, falling to a single knee. The shark-like man chuckled as he walked forward and pulled the bandaged mass from his shoulder. He brought it down like a hammer onto Roshi's back, making the Faunus cry out as jagged steel pierced through the wraps into his skin.

"You fools didn't really think we'd just attack Kon with one guy, did you?"

* * *

"What...What are you talking about?" Asuma asked. He coughed up a glob of blood and Kurenai rushed to his side, steadying him. The silver haired man that stood behind him laughed and pulled his tri-bladed scythe from his gut, his wound healing over instantly, while Asuma was riddled with shock and blood seeped through the front of his torso, despite the absence of a wound.

"Of course a fucking heathen like you wouldn't be able to figure it out!" The man stepped out of his circle, which faded away immediately. He casually twirled his blade as he moved to stand beside the Grimm Path. He grinned at the downed man and rested against his scythe.

The Grimm Path stepped forward, face devoid of pain. "Hidan's abundance of faith aside, it should be obvious. Even a God, such as myself, has weaknesses. But every God has willing followers."

* * *

"Followers? Is that what you lunatics are?" Obito asked scathingly while he forced himself to stay on his feet. The woman that stabbed him kept her eyes narrowed.

"You are treading on thin ice," she said. "The Lord has nothing but good intentions, and you slap his kindness away."

"Oh how silly of me not to realize that the genocide of Faunus is such a kindness," Obito said sarcastically. He shifted his right hand into a harpoon again. "Excuse me if I take exception to that."

"It will spare them pain that I _will_ unleash upon this world," Deva said firmly. He narrowed his eyes and stepped back, avoiding the dog-like lightning construct that nearly tackled him from the side.

"I won't...let that happen..." Kakashi said. A line of blood poured down from his head, his skull likely cracked from being knocked aside like a ragdoll.

"I know." Naraka intoned as he slammed his hands down onto the ground and a ghoulish face emerged. From it, Preta was spat out, good as new. The two Kon fighters grimaced, their fight just became much harder.

* * *

Far from Kon or Beacon, in a secluded clearing on the side of a towering mountain, was a figure seated with his legs folded, his left hand set in his right with the palms facing up resting in his lap. Naruto slowly breathed in, and let go of more of his thoughts as he exhaled. His eyes were closed, he felt the wind danced lightly around him, and birds rested on his shoulders. Senses left him as he blended his aura with the Natural Energy of Remnant.

There was so much of it. He could feel the beating hearts of the living. He could hear the ghosts of the dead. All of it was there, rushing to him and filling his very being. History that people forgot was still present; Scars that Humans and Faunus alike left on Remnant assaulted him endlessly. Naruto fought with his own nature to remain open and allow these dark histories to flutter through his mind.

"A Sage, a true Sage, does not run from Remnant's words." Fukasaku intoned beside him, the older man resting in a similar manner as the blond. "Heroes, Villains, there are none that Remnant truly labels as such. Just children. All of us. From greatest warrior to smallest pebble. Remnant _lends_ this power to us, it is not ours to take."

Naruto remained silent as the older sage spoke. He was assaulted with visions of battles long since fought, tyrants and rebels long since dead, and Grimm that simply were. At one point, he saw a Grimm run past soldiers towards a child.

"Fear leads to anger, anger to hate, and from henceforth, is suffering for all. And the suffering lingers. Marking our world in a way no Human, Faunus or Grimm ever could."

A young boy that was all too familiar fell into Naruto's sight. He was short, with unruly blond hair, and three lines on either cheek. Ignored by the masses around him, he made proud and loud exclamations of how they'd _have_ to see him one day. Some cursed him behind his back. Others scoffed and brushed his boasts aside. The boy's eyes welled with tears. He'd show them, he'd show them all he was worth being remembered-!

"Do not fall victim to the shadows' emotions."

Then those faces became filled with horror. Grimm attacked, people began to die. Graphically in front of him. Few fought, three in particular fought together against the massive horde. Then the Grimm vanished, and following that – Naruto's eyes snapped open, the liquid gold parted by a horizontal bar, a toad-like pupil. Around his eye was a orange pigmentation.

"You felt it, then?" Fukasaku asked without breaking his meditation.

"I _have_ to go." There was no room for argument in the teen's voice. He stood up - the birds disturbed from their perch along his shoulders at his movement hovered around him - and turned towards the elder.

"I agree." Fukasaku grunted as he got to his feet and then opened his eyes, which were similar to Naruto's. They faced each other and the elder smirked. "It is time the Toad Clan reminded Remnant that we are here."

Naruto nodded and allowed the older man to hop up and stand on his shoulders. He tapped his cane and the teen crouched before he launched himself away in a mighty leap, the clearing they sat in undisturbed and the birds fluttering in the air in brief annoyance before finding a new perch on a nearby tree.

* * *

 **AN: Well! Vol. 4 has been over and, despite my own personal opinions on the** _ **pacing**_ **of the volume, I do admit it had moments I felt were well done. That said, I am FAR more excited to see what happens in RWBY Chibi Season 2! Bring on the comedy!**

 **Please, though, save fandom-related comments for forums and review my story for its content.**

 **REVIEWTHESTORY!**


	43. Food Chain

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Naruto**_ **or** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **AN: Wow, guys. I mean, two thousand reviews? Let me say that again, slowly and with emphasis to let it sink in: Two.** _ **Thousand**_ **. Reviews. Give or take a flame or seven, that's...that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I mean, wow. This started out as something I was BS-ing for shizz and gigglez...hell, I don't I even know where I'm going to go after I finish the Vol. 3 story, but now I really have to consider it. Because you know what?** **I want this to be the first fic of mine that reaches** _ **3k**_ **reviews.**

 **So hold on to your buttstallions and grab an umbrella, because shit's going to get messy.**

 **Let's get started!**

 **Veritas Aequitas**

 **XLII: Food Chain**

* * *

"I. Fucking. Hate. Vegans."

Kurama's growl caused Haku and Sasuke to exchange a quizzical look with one another. Those were not the words they expected the Faunus to say when they dug him out from underneath the rubble he was buried under. They were expecting a proclamation of gratitude or perhaps even maybe an appreciative bro-hug. One of those brief, but often used fist bumps would even be acceptable.

The declaration of a dislike for a select group of individuals with a specific taste in food was far from their minds as being a plausible reaction.

"O...Kay. Would you care to elaborate on that?" Sasuke asked while he offered Kurama his hand. Kurama scowled at him, opened his mouth, and then paused. A beat passed before he accepted Sasuke's help and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"No," he said. The Faunus brushed off the lingering dust and pulled a spare set of sunglasses from his pocket. A portion snapped off and fell from his hand to the ground. Red eyes glowered at the ruined shades. "Son of a _bitch_! These were my favorite shades!"

"You have sixty pairs of shades," Sasuke said, an incredulous look on his face. He held his hands up in defense when Kurama snarled at him. "Which is normal, _perfectly_ normal. Not strange at _all_."

"Kurama," Haku said as he put a hand on his friend's arm, "Aside from your sunglasses, are you hurt?"

"No. At least, I don't think so," Kurama said. He glowered at the remains of his sunglasses and then tossed them to the side. He kicked Ri Kudo up into his hand and squinted as he looked around. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the area, they widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Guys," he turned to his two teammates, "What happened?"

"That's what we want to know," Sasuke said. He and Kurama stared out at the crater that used to be their home. Sasuke sighed and patted Kurama's shoulder. "We won't learn anything if we just stand around like a couple of bowling pins."

"And where do you suppose we go, fearless leader?" Kurama asked. A loud explosion drew their gaze to the right. The remains of a two-story building fell to the ground and from it rose a large plume of smoke.

"I would guess that way," Haku said. He reloaded Snowfall and glanced at the current team leader. He blinked in confusion at the annoyed stares sent his way. "What?"

"Naruto broke you." Sasuke and Kurama grumbled. Haku chuckled and they rushed off towards the fallen building. They arrived in time to find Guy pulling himself from the remains.

"Unyouthful fiend," Guy said. He tried to get to his feet, let out a pained grunt and fell to his knee. Sasuke caught him and lent his shoulder to help the man stand. A bright grin with a massive gap caused by a missing tooth was given to him. "My gratitude for your help, Sasuke! Your flames of youth burn most brightly!"

"Guy. Please never say that to me again," Sasuke said. His eyes narrowed. "Or I will drop you."

"Ha! There! Such burning youth!" Guy's hearty laughter shifted into a pained cough, droplets of blood escaping with each rough hack. Haku moved to help keep Guy upright and looked at his back. He grimaced and looked at Kurama.

"He's got an open wound easily three inches from his spine. Something punctured his lung," he said. Kurama winced.

"Oum almighty. What the hell happened, Guy?" Kurama asked. Guy used a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth, all hints of amusement or humor gone from his face.

"Pein. The leader..." Guy broke into another coughing fit. Kurama growled and tightened his grip around Ri Kudo.

"Kurama, see if you can find any other injured-" An explosion cut Sasuke off. The three Huntsmen in training turned to the newest and nearest tower of smoke. Sasuke looked at Kurama and saw his friend's eyes narrow. "Kurama..."

"Nearest aura that feels like a healer's is about forty clicks away to the east," Kurama grumbled. He rolled his neck and shoulders. "Get going."

"Kurama, now isn't the time to-"

"Whatever is coming our way is oozing bloodlust, Sasuke!" Kurama glared at his friend. He turned towards the smoke and shifted Ri Kudo into its spear form with a jerk of his arm. "Guy will bleed out if we all have to play defense, and you'll move him faster if you and Haku work together."

"How bad is it?" Sasuke asked. He scowled when Kurama didn't answer and the fox's expressive tail remained pensive and still. Guy's wheezes started to sound flooded. Sasuke cursed and looked at Haku. "Let's go."

"Right." Haku nodded at Kurama. "We'll be back as fast as we can. Don't do anything stupid."

The Faunus nodded and the two boys picked Guy up. They headed east in hope to find Guy some help so that they could return to their teammate. The teammate in question slid into a defensive fighting stance, his spear held horizontally in front of him and his left leg shifted back.

"Yeah… No promises on that, Haku." Kurama muttered. He braced himself and tightened the grip on his weapon.

Seconds ticked by like hours, and the sun began to hide amongst the clouds.

Kurama narrowed his eyes and reached out with his semblance to get a feel for what was coming. He was unprepared for the tsunami of aura that lashed out at him in retaliation. As though physically struck, he stumbled back. Red and black eyes were as wide as dinner plates, sensitivity be damned.

"What the actual fuck is that?" He breathed out. The sheer amount of rage that was intertwined in the aura he sensed was palpable. Hell, it practically boiled his soul! He had to take a second to ponder why it felt like the blood lusting aura _boiled_ , rather than _burned_.

In that second of contemplation, the owner of the aura closed whatever little distance was between them, and a large bandaged mass barreled into Kurama's stomach. Whatever was left of his natural aura shield was gone, and blood rushed from his mouth to spittle through the air. He kept on his feet, but there were slight trenches beneath them now. Squinted eyes trailed up from the weapon in his gut to the shark-like grin that stared down at him.

"Well, well, well. Would you look at what I found," the man said. His teeth spread into a toothy grin, almost like a shark's. "A fluffy snack for Samehada."

"Oh... crapbaskets." Kurama gasped as the sword he doubled over was pulled away. Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around his stomach. _Shit! I think he actually broke something!_

"Does it hurt?" The man asked, his bandaged weapon draped over one shoulder and held up by one hand. Kurama looked up and glowered at the man, though the blood trail from his mouth diminished his intimidation factor. The man's toothy grin widened before he laughed. "Not backing down, huh? You've got guts, kid! I like that in a meal!"

"Hoshikage Kisame," Kurama rasped out. The shark-like man smirked and held one hand out in a grandiose fashion.

"Pleased to eat you."

"I don't swing that way."

"Ha! Say hello to the funny guy, Samehada," Kisame said, smirking. To Kurama's horror, the bandaged weapon began to shudder. The bandages fell away to reveal a jagged, scaled ... _thing_.

 _Shi-shi-shi-shi!_

"Did-did that thing just laugh?" he asked, unable to comprehend any sort of weapon having sentience. Or a physical mouth.

Kisame's smile vanished and his eyes grew hard. A leg shot up and nailed the Faunus in his ribs. Kurama was sent back several feet, but managed to stay on his knees by using Ri Kudo as a brace. Kisame dropped the weapon from his shoulder and leveled it at Kurama. The Faunus gaped at the toothy grin that was at the tip of the weapon. It began to lap at the air with a long grey tongue, and then licked its chops. The remaining bandages exploded off of the weapon and revealed a shark-like form.

" _Samehada_ ," Kisame began to rear his weapon back with a scowl on his face. "Is not a _thing_. Samehada is my partner. Calling him a _thing_ is like calling _me_ a thing! I'm not a thing, I'm a _human_!"

He dropped his arm, and released Samehada's grip in a makeshift throw. The sword's mouth opened and a bestial roar echoed through the area.

Kurama paled as rows of teeth flew at him with the speed of a freight train. He dove to the side and rolled out of the way, swallowing the pained cry that wanted to escape his mouth from aggravating his injuries. Again, he used Ri Kudo to get back to his feet, panting heavily. His mouth tasted metallic, warm, and overly hydrated. He spat to the slide, decorating some rubble with his expelled blood.

Samehada struck the ground behind him, bounced, and then flipped around to face him. It laughed again, a shrill _shi-shi-shi-shi_ that made him want to rip his ears off. The sword's scales lifted up and Kurama's danger sense flared. He leapt back when the scales shot out of the sword, and then the hair on his tail stood on edge again.

 _No, don't tell me-!_ The realization hit Kurama almost as hard as the fist that cracked him across the jaw and knocked him through the remains of a stone pillar. Ri Kudo flew from his grasp and he landed in a heap, shuddering and coughing up more blood.

"Like I said," the crunch of dirt beneath feet made the Faunus look up at the Maskless Grimm. Kisame had a smile on his face once more, but there was now a glint in his eyes. A glint that reminded Kurama of a doll's eyes. Empty. Lifeless. Like a shark's eyes. Kisame reached down and grabbed the Faunus by his neck. He lifted him from the ground in one hand, the other balled into a fist and pulled back for a punch. "Samehada is my partner. I'm a human. And you? You're lunch."

Kurama's eyes squeezed shut as the first fist flew.

"Kurama!"

Something wrapped around his waist and pulled him out of Kisame's grasp. He was caught by a frail form with a familiar aura signature. A relieved sob escaped the Faunus' mouth.

"Haku, I take back half of the bad things I've ever said about you."

"Only half?" There was a slight smile on the androgynous boy's face. Kurama leveled him with a small scowl.

"I think he broke my ribs, you ass."

"Sorry." Haku unwound Snowfall from his friend's waist and lowered him to the ground, but kept his wary gaze on the intrigued face of the man watching them. He helped Kurama settle against a piece of debris.

"Don't mention it." The Faunus peered around in a daze. "Where's our fearless leader?"

"He got held up." Haku formed a mirror, cracked Snowfall through it, and retrieved Ri Kudo. He handed the staff to his friend, receiving a grateful nod in return.

"With what?" Kurama tried to get up, but hissed and wrapped his arm around his chest. Haku put a hand on his shoulder.

"Family drama."

* * *

They'd just dropped Guy off with the startled, horrified and confused Sakura that had just arrived via bullhead. They left the injured man to be tended to without more than a few words to the girl. The MEDC didn't chide them, thankfully, and instead focused on doing her part to help. Sasuke and Haku immediately turned back to sprint to Kurama's aid, but the former stopped abruptly, his gaze locked in a thousand yard stare.

"Sasuke? Sasuke, we have to go back and help Kurama," Haku urged, grabbing his friend's arm to jostle him out of his stupor. A shock made him jerk away. "What was that for?"

"Haku, make a mirror." Sasuke ordered. The androgynous boy blinked and then followed Sasuke's gaze.

Standing several feet away was a raven haired man in the Fourth War's cloak. Extending from either sleeve were two hooked blades. The man's eyes were apathetic, as if what was to come didn't interest him in the slightest. He tilted his head.

"Sending away your teammate, Sasuke?"

"Yes." Sasuke drew Amaterasu in a single gesture and sparks of aura danced along his arms. He glanced at Haku. "Go."

"...Fine." Haku sighed. A mirror rippled into existence behind him and he backed into it. He stopped halfway and gave Sasuke a pointed glare. "But if you die because you did something stupid, I'll kill you."

" _Now_ , Haku!"

The androgynous boy vanished through his mirror and the two brothers stared each other down.

"Foolish little brother. You ignored my warning." Itachi held his swords out, feigning a lowered guard by leaving his front open for attack. "Now, you must be punished for your unruliness."

"This ends today, Itachi." Sasuke lifted Amaterasu and turned to his side as he fell into a ready stance.

A nearby wall cracked.

The brothers' eyes narrowed.

The brick wall fractured and fell.

The brothers' grip on their swords tightened.

The rubble fragment hit the ground.

The brothers' dance began.

* * *

" Stay here. I'll keep your new friend busy," Haku said. He rose up to his feet and shifted Snowfall into its ranged form. The act drew an even larger smile from the shark-like man.

"Like I have a fucking choice." Kurama muttered. They both looked at the grinning man, who had yet to move from his spot, apprehensively. "I don't think I have to tell you who that is."

"No."

"He drains aura. And his sword is-"

"Alive, I know." Haku nodded. He reached behind him and pulled out the mask that he kept clipped on his belt. Kurama shot him a bewildered look.

"You _know_?"

"He's from _Fog_ , Kurama." Haku lifted the mask to his face, but stopped. He stared at the mask's interior for a minute.

"Y'know, if I owned a watch I'd be staring at it really condescendingly right now!" Kisame called over to them. "Especially since I have such an delectable lunch waiting for me!"

Whatever hesitation that Haku had vanished and he pulled the mask onto his face. He balled his free hand into a fist while the other that held Snowfall tightened around the grip. When he stood ten feet away from the blue-skinned behemoth of a man, he stopped.

"Hoshigaki Kisame. Maskless Grimm of the Bloody Fog." Haku narrowed his eyes behind his mask. "I'd say it's nice to see you again, but considering you've just tried to beat my teammate to death, it would be a terrible lie."

"Have we met?" Kisame arched a brow, though his grin didn't dim in the slightest.

"Haku Yuki. Former apprentice to Zabuza Momochi."

Kisame whistled. "Well, ain't you the hottest shit in town? Though, based on the state of this shithole that's not saying much"

"I believe I should tell you that for your crimes against the people Remnant, Faunus especially, I'm not going to try and take you in." If the man could see Haku's eyes, they would look like walls of steel. "I'm going to kill you."

"Are you now?" Kisame chuckled. He beckoned with his hand and Samehada jumped to it. The massive sword was swung up and rested on his shoulder. "Hear that, Samehada? Momochi's former apprentice is going to kill us."

 _Shi-shi-shi-shi!_

"I'm going to say this once, and only once. Surrender, and you might live to see another day."

"You are _precious_!" Kisame laughed. Haku sighed, he figured it wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way." He held Snowfall up and fired. A single dust needle shot past Kisame's arm, nicking his sleeve. The criminal eyed the damage and laughed harder.

"Was that a warning shot? I thought you were going to kill-Garh!" Kisame dropped Samehada to the ground and stumbled back, revealing a small ice mirror that had formed beneath his feet. The shark-like man grabbed onto the needle that had pierced his groin and yanked it out. Lucky for Kisame, nothing vital was hit, but now he was wary. That needle had bypassed his aura shield. How the fuck did it do that?

"Your death will not be quick. It will not be painless." Haku steadied his aim with his other hand. "For every person, Faunus or Human, you ever did wrong, I shall deal back their pain with interest. I'll start with your intestines."

"Cocky little shit, aren't you?" Kisame took Samehada in both hands and his eyes glazed over as he got back to his feet. "I'm going to enjoy this..."

* * *

Steel clashed as their swords locked up. Itachi's twin blades crossed in front of him while Sasuke's Amaterasu tried to slice through the defense. The struggle caused their faces to be inches away from one another, two black coals glared into crimson orbs. The elder gradually gained the advantage, though he didn't seem to be straining.

"You are still so weak, Sasuke. You lack hatred. That is why you will never kill me." Itachi's eyes narrowed and shifted to reveal his semblance. The red within them darkened and three commas appeared around the pupil. Slowly, the commas began to widen and merged, while also displacing the pupil from its place in the center of the eye. "It seems that you must be taught again."

Sasuke's widened eyes suddenly scrunched closed and he grit his teeth.

Itachi let out a small breath that anyone with a smidge of talent in reading Uchiha micro-mannerisms could tell he was amused by the act.

"Stalling?"

"No." Sasuke's eyes snapped open, revealing crackling orbs of black aura. A large smile spread across his face to reveal a mouth and teeth that matched the eyes. " _Winning_."

Itachi's eyes narrowed when the figure in front of him began to turn into a manufactured duplicate. He disengaged and leapt away before the lightning construct exploded. He stood upright, his blades held at his sides.

"Impressive. You learned Kakashi's 'Lightning Clone'. Must have switched out with it during our clash. Explains why I started to win without pressing" The elder brother spun and slashed his left blade down, slicing the remains of a crumbling wall down the middle.

Sasuke moved when his brother had turned. He leapt over the wall and shifted Amaterasu into its bow form. A volley of lightning arrows rained down onto Itachi. The elder Uchiha remained impassive, and his right sword shifted, rolling inward and then expanding to create a spiralling shield. Debris shot up to latch onto the shield and protected the man from the energy fired down upon him.

Sasuke moved as soon as his landed, he raced around his brother and fired arrow after arrow. Itachi remained still, using Susanoo to guide debris into the arrows' paths.

Mid-shot, one arrow dissipated and Sasuke collapsed. He was out of breath, out of aura, and out of luck.

* * *

 _~Then~_

"Wow, think we have enough people?" Naruto asked, looking over the assembled horde of warriors gathered at the front of the Temple. He uncrossed his arms and tried to count the heads of one row. "Seventy-three, seventy-four, seventy-five – Would you all stop moving? I'm trying to count!"

A slender arm slung around his shoulders and before he knew what was happening, the side of his head was pulled against two bountiful pillows. A soft rumble, almost a purr, reverberated through the mounds. A soft, tanned cheek pressed against the top of his head and began to rub against his scalp.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're so cute when you're frustrated, Tiger?" Leone asked.

Naruto reached up, put his hand on her face, and pushed her away from him. He did his best to hide the burning red cheeks he had gained from her affectionate gesture. She would only become more animated if she saw them. Ever since the day they'd met at the Ramen stand, the lioness Faunus had made it her personal duty to fluster him whenever he had time to spare. She was either a sadistic tease or her torturous flirts were sincere, and he hoped to Oum's Holy Broth that it was the former. It would save him – and by extension his friends at Beacon – from a lot of potential drama.

"Pryde, stop jerking the punk around and fall in," a man growled.

The man towered over Naruto by a head and a half, and wore what looked like pajama pants held up by suspenders. Bandages were wound around his mouth and neck, and a lopsided headband hung from the side of his head, branded with a slashed through insignia of Fog Academy. He had camouflaged arm and leg bands that concealed various types of dust cartridges, and slung over his shoulder was the largest sword Naruto had ever seen. Despite his attire, the man was _very_ intimidating. The fact that the man's eyebrows were missing made him all the more imposing.

"You suck, Zabu." Leone glowered at the man before she hugged Naruto one more time. She playfully nipped at his earlobe and gave him a kiss on his now bright red cheek. "See you later, Tiger. If you get too banged up, let me know. I've got a doctorate in overnight house calls."

"PRYDE!" The man Leone called 'Zabu' barked at her. Behind him, the squadron under his command straightened and bullets of sweat shot from their brows.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't twist your suspenders in a knot, Zabu!" Leone rolled her eyes as she walked over to her spot with the man's squad.

Naruto tried to ignore the pointed exaggerated sway in her steps, but he was only mortal. The glance he may or may not have taken would have allowed him to compare Leone's toned rear with the same firm behind that his Yanging girlfriend had. There would be no way for him to determine which was better, because no matter how hard he might have tried to compare them (if he did hypothetically take a look), both bottoms were matched in shape, form, and size.

"Naruto."

 _Blessed be the Toad Sages that came before me, for my mind was wandering to dangerous territory!_ Naruto thought, relieved to have something draw his attention away from where it was moments prior. The blond looked down to his left at the elderly woman that stood beside him.

"'Sup Ma?" He asked. Shima, who insisted to any that interacted with her (save for a certain lava-using asshole that Naruto did not get along with) to call her Ma, had a red cloth bundled in her arms that she offered up to him. Intrigued, he took the offered gift and held it out. It unfolded to reveal a cloak with three-quarter sleeves, and black flames along the hemming. His eyes went wide and he looked back down at the elder.

"Yer father wore his often after he started our training," Shima said. "It's symbolic more than anything, but most will recognize it for what it means."

"And what's it mean?" Naruto slipped the coat on, and found the sleeves to be large enough to not hinder his movement or his gauntlets. And the length wasn't too long to trip him up when he backpedaled. He missed the way the others gathered around him stared at his back, or rather, what symbol had been stitched into his new coat.

"Oh, never you mind that, dear. Be ready. The signal could be sent at any-"

Shima, Naruto, and the other gathered combatants all snapped their heads up. A strange feeling, like something tugged at the inside of their stomach, washed over the group. They were all enveloped in a large cloud of smoke, and when it cleared, none remained in the area.

* * *

 _~Now~_

The smoke cleared and the mass of warriors from Mt. Myoboku went quiet. Horror, shock, anger and disgust crossed their faces. None more outraged than one of the two that were at the head of the group.

"Unforgivable." Shima muttered. She trembled and fought back the sting in her eye. There would be time to mourn after the fight has been won. She looked at the boy beside her and found him looking around, bemused. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

"Aren't we supposed to be at Kon? I thought Pa would use his magic teleport thing to bring us to Kon?" Naruto scratched his head. "I mean, don't get me wrong, this place needs help too, but...I was expecting to-"

"Naruto-boy." Fukasaku dropped down from the rubble he used as his perch to summon his forces. He landed in front of the blond without a sound, looked around sadly, and then back at the expectant teen. "This _is_ Kon."

"Wha-How…?" Naruto stared at his master in shock for but a moment before he grit his teeth, ducked his head and balled his hands into fists. His gauntlets unfolded around his hands without a word and he lifted his head, his eyelids now covered by a light orange marking and his eyes a toad-like yellow.

"Kid!" Naruto whipped around to meet the gaze of Bunta, the owner of the Mysterious Tree, when he stepped up and crossed his arms. The pipe in his mouth swiveled around. "I'm the Boss of the Mountain, I keep the family in line, but _you're_ the Sage. What's your call?"

"You're asking me?"

"It's your house, it's your show." Bunta shrugged. Naruto pursed his lips in thought.

"You, Hiro, and Ken are with me, Ma and Pa," He said. The triad, Bunta, Hiro and Ken, would be useful to have as backup, and their semblances weren't useful to helping others outside of a fight. He looked around and frowned at the area. He felt weak aura scattered around the ruins. "Everyone else spread out and find survivors. Stay with your teams, and keep in contact with others. This isn't a covert op, guys. Search and rescue first and foremost."

"What if we find any Fourth War members?" A teen named Jugo - who had _awesome_ orange hair _and_ orange eyes, the lucky bastard - asked.

Naruto's knuckles cracked when he tightened his fists.

"Do whatever needs to be done."

The Wanderers' nodded and dispersed, running through the ruins in different directions, some grouping up and heading towards the sounds of gunfire.

Naruto closed his eyes and reached out through Remnant. He felt his teammates, his friends, suffering. He felt out the Wanderers' locations. A hand went up to his ear, pressing down on the Scroll accessory he'd begrudgingly inserted into it. (He'd never really liked the RedNail wireless accessories Kakashi used to force on him, they never worked when it mattered.)

It became clear after he'd instructed two specific groups to go to his teammates' aid. The aura that Fukasaku described as faint and unnatural, a simplification if ever there was one. The aura was cold, detached and in torment, while simultaneously angry, bitter, and hot. His eyes snapped open, and an unnoticeably small slit appeared to bisect the toad-like pupils.

"Found him." He narrowed his eyes and frowned. Wordlessly, he and the elders shot off towards the aura's location, the Triad following them. He pressed his fingers to his ear again. His eyes flashed, and the slit became a bit more pronounced, to the point that if you looked for it you would see it. Unbeknownst of the growing issue, Naruto pressed on the RedNail earbud.

"Stay away from the Commander's Monument. Pein is _mine_."

* * *

 **AN: It's been a while, but I'm back! My new school has a weird set up, and what with the holidays and all. I'm determined to keep updating as many stories as I can. If you ignored the above AN, that's fine. If you didn't, then you all know I want you to do!**

 **REHAVEAHOLLYJOLLYXMAS &AHAPPYNEWYEAR!**


End file.
